Denys Shmyhal

Denys Shmyhal
Денис Шмигаль
Prime Minister of Ukraine
In office
4 March 2020 – 17 July 2025
PresidentVolodymyr Zelensky
Preceded byOleksiy Honcharuk
Succeeded byYulia Svyrydenko
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister for Communities and Territories Development
In office
4 February 2020 – 4 March 2020[1]
Prime MinisterOleksiy Honcharuk
Preceded byAliona Babak
Succeeded byOleksiy Chernyshov
Governor of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast
In office
1 August 2019 – 5 February 2020[2]
PresidentVolodymyr Zelensky
Prime MinisterVolodymyr Groysman
Oleksiy Honcharuk
Preceded byOleh Honcharuk
Succeeded byVitaliy Fedoriv (Acting)[3]
Personal details
Born
Denys Anatoliyovych Shmyhal

(1975-10-15) 15 October 1975
Lviv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Political partyIndependent
EducationLviv Polytechnic
Occupationentrepreneur
politician

Denys Anatoliyovych Shmyhal (Ukrainian: Денис Анатолійович Шмигаль; born 15 October 1975[4]) is a Ukrainian businessman and politician.[5]

On 4 March 2020, he became the Prime Minister of Ukraine. As Prime Minister, Shmyhal has been in charge of handling the response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine and conducting the defense of Ukraine during the 2022 Russian invasion.[6] As of 2025, he is the longest serving prime minister in Ukrainian history.[7] He resigned in July 2025.

Biography

Denys was born on 15 October 1975 in Lviv. In 1997, he graduated from the Lviv Polytechnic (engineering and economics).

1997-2005 he works as accountant in private sector. From June 2006 to August 2008, he was Director for the investment company Comfort-Invest.

In 2008-2009, Shmyhal was General Director at Rosaninvest LLC.

Shmyhal worked in multiple leading political roles in Ukraine's Lviv Oblast from 2009 until December 2013.

In 2009-2013 served as the head of the Department of Economics and the head of the Department of Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Industryat the Lviv Oblast Administration.

In 2015-2017 he was a Vice President of Lviv company Lvivkholod.

In 2018-2019, Shmyhal was a Director of the Burshtyn TES.

From August 2019 till February 2020 he was the Governor of Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast.

On 4 February 2020, he became the Minister of Regional Development of Ukraine.

In March 2020, Denys Shmyhal became the Prime Minister of Ukraine.[8]

On 14 July 2025, Zelenskyy announced his plan to replace Shmyhal with Yulia Svyrydenko as prime minister as part of a government reshuffle; Zelenskyy suggested that Shmyhal might become defense minister.[9][10] Shmyhal resigned as prime minister the next day, while the Verkhovna Rada accepted his decision on 16 July.[11]

Personal life

Shmyhal is married to Kateryna. The couple has two daughters.

References

  1. "Новий Кабмін Шмигаля – став відомим склад уряду - Кабінет Міністрів України - Верховна Рада | РБК-Україна". Rbc.ua. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  2. "Decree of the President of Ukraine № 38/2020". Office of the President of Ukraine (in Ukrainian). Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  3. (in Ukrainian) Zelensky has appointed a new head of the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional State Administration, Ukrayinska Pravda (10 February 2020)
  4. "Голова обласної державної адміністрації". www.if.gov.ua (30 October 2019 archived page via Wayback Machine) (in Ukrainian). Archived from the original on 2019-10-30. Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  5. "Шмигаль Денис Анатолійович". dovidka.com.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved January 17, 2020.
  6. "Denys Schmygal zum neuen Premierminister ernannt". www.ukrinform.de (in German). 4 March 2020. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
  7. "Yulia-prime minister or Shmyhal's holding. Will replace Zelenskyy's longest government in history". Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). 10 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
  8. "Новий прем'єр: Денис Шмигаль, який за півроку пройшов шлях від голови ОДА до керівника уряду". Українська правда (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 2020-12-14.
  9. Shumilin, Oleksandr (14 July 2025). "PM Shmyhal's experience will be useful as defence minister – Zelenskyy". Ukrainska Pravda. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  10. Denisova, Kateryna (14 July 2025). "Zelensky hints prime minister Shmyhal may be appointed defense minister amid government reshuffle". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  11. Martin Fornusek (16 July 2025). "Ukraine's parliament dismisses prime minister and his cabinet". The Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 16 July 2025.