Ukraine's PM announces cut of over 4,000 vacant positions in central government as first stage of state apparatus reform
Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky announced on October 6 plans to cut more than 4,000 vacant positions in central executive authorities and reduce the number of deputy ministers by about 20% as the first stage of state apparatus optimization. The plan is tied to a broader functional review of government bodies and includes reforms to civil servant training and new programs for young people and veterans.
Key points
- Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky announced the plan on October 6 via his Telegram channel.
- More than 4,000 vacant positions in central executive authorities are to be cut as a first stage of optimization.
- The number of deputy ministers is to be tied to the volume of tasks and reduced by approximately 20%.
- The number of deputy heads of other central executive bodies is to be cut by nearly 18%.
- A functional diagnostics of the state apparatus is being conducted to assess whether current bodies and functions match state priorities.
- Civil servant training is to be linked to the tasks of specific positions, with planned information and internship programs for young people and a separate program for veterans.
- The Council on Public Administration Issues, including government officials, parliamentarians and experts, has resumed work and presented a detailed reform plan with responsible parties named for each direction.
Why it matters
The reform touches a significant share of Ukraine's central government: more than 4,000 vacant posts and roughly one in five deputy-minister positions. Because the cuts are explicitly tied to a broader functional review of what government bodies actually do, the announcement is less a one-off trim than the opening of a longer restructuring process. The accompanying training and recruitment changes for young people and veterans suggest the government is also trying to reshape how the civil service is staffed, not only how big it is.
What happened
Prime Minister Serhiy Koretsky announced on October 6 that the government would cut more than 4,000 vacant positions in central executive authorities as the first stage of state apparatus optimization. The number of deputy ministers is to be tied to the volume of tasks and reduced by approximately 20%, while the number of deputy heads of other central executive bodies is to be cut by nearly 18%. A functional diagnostics is under way to check which functions the bodies have and whether they match current state priorities; the final structure and headcount of the apparatus will be set after that review. Koretsky also outlined plans to link civil servant training to the tasks of specific positions, to introduce information and internship programs for young people, and to maintain a separate program for veterans. The Council on Public Administration Issues, bringing together government officials, parliamentarians and experts, has resumed work and at its meeting reviewed a detailed plan of changes with responsible parties designated for each direction.
Background
Ukraine has roughly 186,500 civil service staff positions, of which more than 30,000 were already vacant according to NACS data from the previous year. The idea of reducing the state apparatus was first raised at the start of the full-scale war in 2022 by Servant of the People faction head David Arakhamia. Koretsky first signaled on September 18 that Ukraine would conduct a comprehensive analysis of its public administration system and potentially cut positions in central executive bodies; the detailed plan followed on October 6.