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(Bloomberg) — President Volodymyr Zelenskyy removed Ukraine’s prime minister as part of a shift in “political strategy,” and may tap a state energy executive or former premier as her replacement as Kyiv prepares for winter under the threat of continued Russian attacks.

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Zelenskyy is considering naming the chief executive officer of state-run Naftogaz, Sergii Koretskyi, or former Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, the current energy minister, to the role, according to people familiar who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. 

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“Personnel changes will begin in Ukraine to ensure the implementation of the updated political strategy,” Zelenskyy said Sunday in a post on X. 

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Zelenskyy is considering candidates with energy-sector experience for his next prime minister as Ukraine looks ahead to winter. Russia pounded the country’s power grid and energy infrastructure with airstrikes last winter, causing severe disruptions in electricity, heating and water supplies during an exceptionally cold season. 

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The Ukrainian leader said in separate X posts on Sunday that’d met with Koretskyi, whose “effective leadership of Ukraine’s strategic state-owned companies” he praised, and Shmyhal to receive reports. 

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He said he’d offered outgoing Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko “the opportunity to lead a new and important area of relations with a key partner,” and was grateful for her “clear, steady and effective work” in her role, which she occupied for just short of a year. 

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Zelenskyy also met Sunday with a number of other key officials, including Ihor Terekhov, mayor of Kharkiv, the heavily bombarded city in Ukraine’s north, and Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. 

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“Preparing for winter is an extremely important priority, and Ukraine must be ready for every threat that may arise,” Zelenskyy said on X. “The transformation of state-owned companies, on which Ukraine’s resilience significantly depends, must be accelerated.”

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Russian airstrikes on Ukrainian cities have become increasingly deadly as Kyiv’s supply of Patriot missiles to defend itself dwindles. Global stockpiles of the missiles have run low, leading Kyiv to ask for the right to produce Patriots locally, which US President Donald Trump said last week that he’d allow.

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Koretskyi’s role as head of Naftogaz, which is responsible for stockpiling natural gas, has given him experience directly relevant to Ukraine’s upcoming challenges. The 48-year-old is seen as Zelenskyy’s leading candidate, according to the people familiar.

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“Koretskyi is definitely a solid candidate,” Yaroslav Zheleznyak, an opposition lawmaker, said on Facebook. “If this happens, it’s probably a positive development.”

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Svyrydenko was named as prime minister in July 2025, replacing Shmyhal. She introduced a number of social initiatives, including a one-time payment of 1,000 hryvnia ($22) to most Ukrainians to help households cope with the winter season.

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Zelenskyy also said he’d make changes to the leadership at the nation’s law enforcement agencies.

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(Updates with details from fourth paragraph.)

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