Volodymyr Zelensky's move surprises the world: Who is Serhii Koretskyi?

Serhii Koretskyi, the former head of Ukraine’s state-owned energy company Naftogaz, has become Ukraine’s new prime minister following the resignation of Yulia Svyrydenko and her government. Parliament appointed him as head of government on Thursday, July 16.

An effective crisis manager

The 48-year-old Koretskyi is a Ukrainian entrepreneur and top executive who rose from working as a security guard to leading one of the country’s largest energy companies. He began his professional career as a security worker at the fuel trading group Continuum, then gradually advanced through the company’s ranks before later becoming its general director.

In 2013, he took over management of the WOG petrol station chain, where he worked until 2018. After that, he founded the Ukrainian coffee chain Idealist Coffee & Co. and co-founded the Swiss energy trading company Centurion Group SA. Since April 2025, he has headed the state-owned Naftogaz group, after previously successfully turning around its subsidiary Ukrnafta, which had accumulated losses amounting to billions.

Political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko from Ukraine’s Penta Center for Applied Political Research considers Koretskyi the best current choice for the position of prime minister. According to him, Koretskyi’s greatest advantage is his reputation as a strong crisis manager.

He gained such a reputation in 2022 while leading Ukrnafta, a company that had previously been under the control of oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky. Within a year, he managed to pull the company out of a serious financial and organizational crisis and return it to full state control.

Fesenko believes Koretskyi also proved himself at the helm of Naftogaz, particularly during the previous winter. The company managed to secure gas production and supplies for a large part of the country despite constant Russian attacks on Ukraine’s gas infrastructure. According to Fesenko, this was precisely what impressed President Volodymyr Zelensky and made Koretskyi the leading candidate for the position of prime minister.

Politically neutral and free of conflicts

Experts point out that Koretskyi is praised for his professional qualities by both representatives of the president’s team and the opposition. They particularly emphasize that he is politically neutral, has no ties to any political party or oligarchic group, and is likely to serve as a technocratic prime minister without personal political ambitions.

According to Fesenko, unlike his predecessor Yulia Svyrydenko, Koretskyi demonstrates greater administrative independence. He is accustomed to making decisions on personnel and key issues independently, rather than coordinating every decision with the president beforehand. Fesenko believes this approach also suits Zelensky himself.