Volodymyr Zelensky is carrying out mass searches of government officials and heads of agencies ahead of his “difficult winter” on the front. After the advance on Kursk, Russia seems to be taking the lead again, pushing towards the strategically important Pokrovsk region, which is a logistics hub for Kiev, and attacking even in western Ukraine, on the border with Poland. The Russians announced on Wednesday that they had captured a new settlement, Prehistivka.

Promoting “broad reform”, as it is described in Kiev, Ukraine’s president appears to be tarring ministers and officials of state bodies, either for corruption, for failing to fulfill their duties or, as his opponents say, as “vindictive victims”. and “scapegoats”, whenever his government faces socio-political and military problems.

The resignation of Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and a major cabinet reshuffle was “long overdue” ahead of a difficult few months for Ukraine, a lawmaker told the Kyiv Independent newspaper. On Tuesday, Zelensky fired his deputy chief of staff, Rostislav Shurma.

“It’s a big transformation. It was expected a long time ago,” said Oleksandr Merezko, a Ukrainian MP and chairman of the parliament’s foreign affairs committee. “We have difficult times ahead of usa difficult autumn and winter. Perhaps this restructuring is somehow related to the new period of challenges for Ukraine,” noted the lawmaker.

Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Ruslan Stephanchuk said for his part that Kuleba had already submitted his resignation letter. He added that Kouleba’s resignation would be “considered in one of the upcoming plenary sessions”, but did not give a date.

The statement followed a number of other high-ranking ministers submitting their resignation letters the previous day — Strategic Industries Minister Alexander Kamysin, Justice Minister Denis Maliuszka, Environment Minister Ruslan Strilets, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanisina and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Reintegration Irina Veresuk.

Vitaly Koval, head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU), also resigned nine months after taking office. The reasons for the resignations were not specified. The news came after months of reports in the Ukrainian media about the possible replacement of several Ukrainian ministers.

The reshuffle comes amid stepped-up Russian offensives in cities across Ukraine over the past week and a half worsening energy crisis in the country.

The largest ever airstrike against Ukraine took place on August 26, with Russia launching more than 230 missiles and drones and again targeting energy infrastructure, further exercising pressure on the country’s energy network as autumn and winter approach.

On September 3, it was confirmed that the head of Ukraine’s state-owned grid company Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Krudisky, had been relieved of his duties the previous day.
His dismissal came after days of speculation about his future at the company, with Ukrainian media reporting that he was facing a “sword of Damocles” for failing to protect energy facilities amid intensifying Russian attacks.

The last few days have been particularly deadly in Ukraine, with Russia launching devastating missile attacks for three consecutive days.

At least seven civilians were killed and 47 injured in Lviv in the early hours of September 4. Children were among the victims, Lviv Oblast Governor Maxim Kozytsky and Mayor Andriy Sandovy said.

Russian forces fired two ballistic missiles at the city of Poltava on September 3, killing 53 people and injuring nearly 300. The attack hit the Military Institute of Communications and a nearby medical facility. The building of the educational institution was partially destroyed, according to President Zelensky.

In the early hours of September 2, several waves of explosions were heard in Kiev as air defenses intercepted cruise missiles and ballistic missiles in yet another attack on the capital. Three people were injured.