Factbox-Who is Ukraine's new prime minister, Sergii Koretskyi?


Newly appointed Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi attends a session of Ukrainian parliament, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine July 16, 2026. REUTERS/Andrii Nesterenko

KYIV, July 16 (Reuters) - Ukraine's parliament ⁠approved top energy executive Sergii Koretskyi as the country's new ⁠prime minister, the third wartime head of the government appointed in ‌a wider reshuffle announced by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Here are some facts about the new prime minister:

KORETSKYI'S FIRST GOVERNMENT ROLE

An engineer and economist by training, Koretskyi, 48, has not held a ​government role before and has no ties to ⁠any political party, which analysts ⁠say could play to his advantage.

Volodymyr Fesenko, director of the Penta think ⁠tank, ‌has said that his combination of being known as a good manager but being politically neutral gives him an edge.

TWO DECADES' EXPERIENCE ⁠IN ENERGY SECTOR

Koretskyi is a widely respected senior energy ​executive with more ‌than 20 years of experience in oil production and refining, energy ⁠retail, wholesale management, ​and international financing.

Since May 2025, he has been CEO of one of Ukraine's biggest state companies, Naftogaz, the oil and gas giant, which runs much of Ukraine's ⁠gas production, imports and supply.

Prior to that, ​he headed Ukrnafta, Ukraine's largest oil company and a part of Naftogaz group.

Before moving to the state-owned energy companies, he headed the Western Oil Group, and ⁠served as CEO of the Continuum Group and one of the biggest filling station chains in Ukraine, WOG.

Born in Ukraine's western city of Lutsk, Koretskyi had also founded a coffee chain business.

PREPARING FOR NEXT WINTER IS PRIORITY

After ​enduring the heaviest bombardment of its energy infrastructure ⁠last winter, one of Koretskyi's main tasks will be getting Ukraine ready for ​the next one as Russian attacks continue, while ‌Kyiv is facing a shortage of ​interceptors to down ballistic missiles.

Zelenskiy told reporters on Wednesday that preparing for winter was the priority.

(Reporting by Anna Pruchnicka;Editing by Alison Williams)

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