Ukrainian Railways Chairman of Board Gets Job in Government

Ukraine’s parliament on Tuesday appointed Oleksandr Kamyshyn, who served as Chairman of the Board of Ukrainian Railways, head of the Ministry for Strategic Industries.

Mr Kamyshyn’s new job is part of a minor reshuffle in Ukraine’s government, with three new ministers appointed in total.

According to LIGA.net information, all parliamentary fractions of the Verkhovna Rada except for European Solidarity, affiliated with former President Petro Poroshenko, approved the appointment of the new Minister for Strategic Industries, with 312 MPs voting in favor.

Pavlo Riabikin, who led the Ministry since November 2021, was dismissed in a separate vote on Monday and is rumoured to be appointed Ukraine's ambassador to China.

The Ministry for Strategic Industries, also known in Ukraine as Minstratehprom, was established in July 2020 to coordinate the development of Ukraine’s strategic industries, including defence and space technology.

Mr Kamysyin has been in charge of Ukrainian Railways since August 2021, when he replace then-Chairman of the Board Ivan Yurik. In February, he unexpectedly resigned but remained in office.

Prior to joining Ukrainian Railways, Mr Kamyshyn worked as an investment manager for SCM Group, owned by Ukrainian businessman Rinat Akhmetov, and was managing partner of Fortior Capital, an investment company.