Zelenskyy replaces prime minister and announces law enforcement overhaul

Yulia Svyrydenko stepped down as Ukraine's prime minister on Sunday, with well-informed opposition lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak saying she is likely to become ambassador to the US. The most probable successor is Serhiy Koretskyi, head of state energy company Naftogaz, though other possibilities include former PM and current energy minister Denys Shmyhal, and Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is "changing its political strategy" and offered Svyrydenko the chance to lead "a new, important area" in relations with a key international partner. He also flagged changes in the top ranks of law enforcement agencies. This follows the NATO summit in Ankara, where a thaw in relations with Donald Trump's administration was evident, and Trump promised Ukraine a license to build Patriot air defence missiles.

Over the past year, Ukraine has been shaken by its largest corruption scandal, which led to the resignation of the influential head of the presidential administration. Zelenskyy also triggered protests in 2025 when he moved to strip anti-corruption bodies of their independence, but was forced to back down.

A Ukrainian attack hit the Syzran oil refinery in Russia's Samara region, killing one person. Regional governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said a child was among three injured. Russia was forced to suspend shipping in the Sea of Azov after 90 vessels were targeted by Ukrainian drones in less than a week. Ukraine's drone forces chief, Robert Brovdi, said his units hit 10 tankers and four ferries overnight, as well as the major Syzran oil refinery. He added that there were several strikes on electricity substations in occupied Crimea.

Ukraine's allies, known as the "coalition of the willing," will meet in Paris on Monday to discuss pressuring Russia to end its more than four-year war. French President Emmanuel Macron said in Ankara that he would use the summit to unveil new defence initiatives and joint military exercises. The meeting will also address Russia's shadow fleet, new military capabilities for Ukraine, greater defence industry mobilisation, and deeper operational cooperation. Expected attendees include UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa. Two more countries, Moldova and North Macedonia, have joined the coalition.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the late US Senator Lindsey Graham as "a true defender of freedom." Graham, 71, died on Saturday, reportedly from a massive heart attack. He had just returned from a trip to Ukraine and was a staunch supporter of its fight against Vladimir Putin's invasion. On Friday, Graham announced an agreement with the Trump administration to move forward on a sanctions package against Russia.

A wave of Russian drones and missiles killed four people in Ukraine on Sunday. Three died in the central Dnipropetrovsk region, including two in a strike on an industrial enterprise in Kryvyi Rih. A separate drone attack on Kherson killed a 48-year-old man. Meanwhile, Ukrainian strikes on the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region left four dead, according to Russian officials.