Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers Approves Multiple Reshuffles, Dismisses Language Ombudsman and Appoints New Officials
The Government of Ukraine has taken significant steps in personnel management by dismissing Taras Kremen from the position of the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, marking a major reshuffle at the recent cabinet meeting. This transition became effective as his term of office concludes on July 8, 2025, after which Kremen will no longer hold official responsibilities in this domain. In addition, the Cabinet decided to dismiss Hryhoriy Ishchenko from his role as Head of the State Agency for Exclusion Zone Management, appointing Vladimir Feshchenko as acting head, ensuring the continued operation of this crucial state agency. The governmental reshuffle also involved leadership changes in the maritime and internal water transport sectors: Mykola Kravchuk was appointed as the acting head of the relevant agency, having previously served as their first deputy, while he officially took the position of agency head. Furthermore, Natalia Kichuk was appointed deputy head of the State Reserve Management Agency and simultaneously assigned acting head duties. Another significant appointment included Olga Polotska becoming the executive director of the National Research Fund of Ukraine, strengthening the administrative capacity of this strategically important institution. Meanwhile, public organizations expressed concern over the secrecy surrounding the selection process for the new Language Ombudsman, criticizing that the list of candidates was submitted covertly without broad public consultation. They also raised doubts regarding the qualifications of most candidates and suggested that the current procedure might aim to weaken the institution tasked with defending the state language. Recall that Taras Kremen was appointed to this position by the government on July 8, 2020, replacing Tetyana Monakhova, who resigned in May citing inability to establish the secretariat of the ombudsman and delayed salary payments for over six months. These issues caused significant financial and operational difficulties, with Kremen spending approximately 30,000 hryvnias from his own funds to fulfill his duties.