MOSCOW, July 12. /TASS/. Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denis Shmygal may be appointed the country’s defense minister, Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) member Alexey Goncharenko (put on Russia’s list of terrorists and extremists) said.

"There is information that [digital transformation minister] Mikhail Fedorov may become defense minister. Denis Shmygal is also among the candidates," he wrote on his Telegram channel, not specifying where this information originates from.

Vladimir Zelensky announced on July 10 that Defense Minister Rustem Umerov may be appointed ambassador to the United States. This, in his words, "will certainly have an impact on serious changes in the government of Ukraine."

After a meeting with Umerov on Saturday, Zelensky wrote on his Telegram channel that Ukraine needs "more positive dynamics in relations with the United States." Concurrently, in his words, "new steps are needed in managing the defense sphere." He promised to announce relevant decisions within days.