Former Zhytomyr Mayor Serhii Sukhomlyn has been appointed head of the Agency for the Restoration and Development of Infrastructure, he announced on Facebook on Sept. 27.
Sukhomlyn became mayor of Zhytomyr in November 2015 and resigned at his own request in early September 2024. Before Sukhomlyn, Mustafa Nayyem headed the agency specializing in Ukraine's reconstruction.
Nayyem resigned on June 10 after being prevented from attending the Ukraine Recovery Conference scheduled for June 11-12 in Berlin. In a lengthy Facebook post, he outlined a series of complaints about "systemic obstacles" that limited his ability to do his job, ultimately leading to his decision to resign.
Nayyem's resignation and reshuffles strained relations between Kyiv and Western allies, raising concerns about Ukraine's ability to address the ongoing attacks on its energy infrastructure by Russia, the Financial Times reported on June 10, citing unnamed Ukrainian and Western officials.
Nayyem is also credited as one of the first activists to call for demonstrations in Kyiv in November 2013, marking the beginning of the protest movement that culminated in the EuroMaidan Revolution.
Chris York
