RT reported that Deputy Prime Minister in charge of European Integration Olga Stefanishina, Minister of Strategic Industry Aleksandr Kamyshin, Minister of Justice Denis Maliuski and Minister of Environmental Protection Ruslan Strilets all submitted their resignations on September 3.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has fired his deputy chief of staff Rostyslav Shurma, according to a decree on the presidential website .
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba could soon join the cabinet resignations, according to the Kiev newspaper Ukrainskaya Pravda.
"There are preparations to fire Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba," Ukrainskaya Pravda reported on the evening of September 3, citing a source in the office of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to the newspaper, the most likely replacement for Mr Kuleba would be Mr Andrey Sibiga, a former ambassador whom Ukrainian media described as Mr Zelensky's deputy chief of staff and Mr Kuleba's deputy.
Prime Minister Denis Shmigal is expected to retain his position, according to Ukrainskaya Pravda.
The cabinet reshuffle comes as Zelensky’s presidential and parliamentary terms officially expire. The Ukrainian constitution only provides for an extension of the parliamentary term, but Zelensky has argued that martial law, which was declared in February 2022, allows him to indefinitely postpone any elections.
Rumors of Kuleba’s imminent dismissal have been circulating since March, when one of his proteges, Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko, resigned. Strana news agency reported that President Zelensky was deeply dissatisfied with the diplomatic establishment and was considering replacing Kuleba.
David Arakhamia, a senior lawmaker in President Zelensky 's party , said there would be a "major government reshuffle" in which more than half of the ministers would change.
