Key facts
- Mykolaiv Governor Vitalii Kim has agreed to become Ukraine's next veterans affairs minister.
- Kim will replace Natalia Kalmykova, who has held the position since September 2024.
- The move would see Kim transition from a regional leadership role to a national cabinet position.
- Kim has served as governor of Mykolaiv Oblast since November 2020.
- He is one of Ukraine's most recognizable public officials due to his social media presence during the war.
- A recent poll indicates 47% of Ukrainians trust Kim, with only Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov ranking higher.
Mykolaiv Oblast Governor Vitalii Kim has accepted an offer to become Ukraine's next veterans affairs minister, a move that would see him transition from a regional leadership role to a national cabinet position. Kim confirmed his agreement to the role on July 15, following a meeting with the ruling Servant of the People faction. If confirmed by parliament, he will succeed Natalia Kalmykova, who has served as veterans affairs minister since September 2024.
The decision appears to have been made rapidly, with one official noting that reports of Kim's expected appointment surprised even his own team. Kim has been the governor of the southern Mykolaiv Oblast since November 2020. He gained significant national recognition during the initial months of Russia's full-scale invasion due to his calm and optimistic social media updates, becoming one of Ukraine's most visible public officials.
Kim remains one of the few regional leaders consistently included in nationwide opinion polls. A recent survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) indicated that 47% of Ukrainians trust Kim, placing him among the public officials with the highest approval ratings. Only Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov, with a 52% trust rating, ranked higher among regional leaders in the poll. Terekhov was among the officials consulted by President Volodymyr Zelensky on July 12 regarding the government reshuffle. Both Kim and Terekhov have been subjects of polls testing their potential as future political party leaders, and they collaborate through the Association of Front line Cities and Communities, a platform established in 2025 and led by Terekhov.