The current head of the group «Naftogaz» Serhiy Koretsky may become the new Prime Minister of Ukraine. According to sources from Forbes Ukraine, he is being considered as the main candidate for the position of head of government following the expected resignation of Yuliya Svyrydenko. This is reported by Forbes Ukraine.
Serhiy Koretsky: Career from WOG to Leading «Naftogaz»
On July 12, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a meeting with Serhiy Koretsky, during which the parties discussed steps to enhance the resilience of the state and the implementation of a renewed political strategy.
According to sources from Forbes Ukraine, Koretsky could head the Cabinet of Ministers, while Yuliya Svyrydenko is being considered for the position of Ukraine's ambassador to the USA.
48-year-old Serhiy Koretsky was born in Lutsk. He began his career in the late 1990s with the «Kontinium» group and later led the WOG gas station network. After being dismissed in 2018, he founded his own coffee brand, Idealist.
What makes Serhiy Koretsky known as a leader of state companies
In November 2022, Koretsky led the state companies «Ukrnafta» and «Ukrtatnafta» after their assets came under state control.
During his tenure, «Ukrnafta», which was unprofitable from 2013 to 2022, generated about 40 billion UAH in net profit for the 2023-2024 years. Koretsky explained these results by transitioning to transparent procurement through Prozorro, rejecting intermediaries, and changing approaches to cooperation with the Kremenchuk oil refinery.
In April 2025, he won an open competition for the position of chairman of the «Naftogaz» group, in which 62 candidates participated.
Under his leadership, the company survived the 2025-2026 heating season after record low gas reserves. «Naftogaz» increased gas volumes in storage to over 13 billion cubic meters by attracting its own funds and international financing. However, the government target for increasing gas production could not be achieved due to numerous Russian attacks on gas extraction infrastructure.