Why is Zelenskyy reforming the government of Ukraine in the middle of the success of the war against Russia?

Kyiv – The Parliament of Ukraine was adopted The resignation of Yulia Svyrydenko as prime minister on Tuesday following President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to restructure the country's top leadership. The move surprised many observers who praised the outgoing cabinet Ukraine's latest success against a full-scale Russian invasion.

Zelenskyy says the changes are aimed at preparing Ukraine for another harsh winter and strengthening relations with key foreign partners. But officials and lawmakers say the reshuffle reflects broader political calculations within Kyiv.

“Ukraine is changing its political strategy. Each important area of ​​foreign policy will be assigned to a specific person with extensive experience who is able to implement what we agree on at the leadership level and what the Ukrainian people expect,” Zelenskyy wrote in X. “The same applies to our work at home … Preparing for winter is a very important thing, and Ukraine must be ready for all threats that may arise.”

The first changes showed that he was serious about both priorities. Last winter was the most brutal in Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. As Russia tightens the country's power grid, cities endure weeks-long power outages and heat blackouts. Officials warned that the government has not taken the necessary steps to prevent the same from happening this winter.

“The reason was the failure of the Svyrydenko cabinet to properly prepare for winter,” Oleg Dunda, a member of the Ukrainian parliament, told CBS News. “As far as I know, the implementation of strengthening programs was not satisfactory. And so the question arose: Try to strengthen this area in time, or let this cabinet bear the full burden.”

Svyrydenko's potential successor as prime minister, Serhiy Koretskyi, CEO of Ukrainian energy giant Navtozgaz, may be well-positioned to address these challenges.

“He is a real professional,” Yuriy Sak, an adviser to the Ministry of Industry of Ukraine, told CBS News. “Winter is coming, and there is a need to strengthen the energy sector and efficiency.”

Zelenskyy is expected to make Svyrydenko Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States. Officials say he has close ties to members of the Trump administration, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, since their work on a “critical mining deal” last year.

Ukraine's current ambassador to Washington, Olha Stefanishyna, tendered her resignation this week.

But while some of the staff shifts are clearly in line with priorities for the Ukrainian government, others have puzzled lawmakers and officials. Rumors that Zelenskyy could replace the popular Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov with the current Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko took a big hit.

Fedorov, a 35-year-old tech entrepreneur with close ties to Silicon Valley, became defense chief in January after spearheading technological reforms at Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation. He is widely credited with recent successes on the Ukrainian battlefield, including a campaign to cut off fuel and supply flows to Crimea, the southern Ukrainian peninsula occupied by Russia since 2014.

Several officials told CBS News that Fedorov's growing popularity has led some in Kyiv to see him as a potential political rival to Zelenskyy, and the Economist reported this week that Fedorov was at loggerheads with other top Ukrainian generals, including army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.

A spokesman for Ukraine's Ministry of Defense said the material seen in the Economist article was collected before Zelenskyy announced his government reshuffle, and they would not comment further.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Zelenskyy had not announced a decision about his continuation, but he had meetings with Koretskiy, who is likely to become the new prime minister, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Interior Minister Klymenko, and Fedorov.

“The reform of all processes within the Ukrainian Defense Forces that may support the mobilization of our heroes should also continue, as well as efforts to ensure that the combat brigades are effective. We all understand the challenges,” Zelenskyy wrote in X following his meeting with Fedorov. “It is important that the leadership required in the defense sector delivers results.”