Ukraine’s parliament on Wednesday approved the appointment of Denys Shmyhal as deputy prime minister and minister of energy, lawmakers said.
A total of 248 lawmakers in the Verkhovna Rada, the Ukrainian parliament, voted in favor during a live broadcast of a plenary session, according to Ukrainian media.
The vote came a day after Shmyhal’s candidacy failed to secure the 226 votes needed in an initial ballot, when only 210 lawmakers backed the appointment. The renewed vote cleared the threshold, allowing Shmyhal to formally take up the post.
The appointment marks Shmyhal’s return to the energy sector as Ukraine works to stabilize its power system amid continued Russian strikes on critical infrastructure, with blackouts lasting over 20 hours a day as temperatures remain below freezing.
Shmyhal previously served five years as Ukraine’s longest-serving prime minister, followed by a brief six-month stint as defense minister. Earlier in his career, he headed one of Ukraine’s key thermal power plants.
Ukraine’s energy ministry has been without a head for almost two months amid intensifying pressure from Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy sector.
The previous energy minister, Svitlana Hrynchuk, was dismissed in late 2025 after being implicated in a major corruption scandal that also implicated her predecessor.
Shmyhal’s nomination came as part of a broader cabinet overhaul aimed at adapting to a new phase of war marked by deeper strikes and mounting pressure on infrastructure.
On Tuesday, parliament voted to dismiss Shmyhal from his post as defense minister. Former Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov was appointed to the post on Wednesday.