Europe Asia News

The Ukrainian president said that Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk could no longer remain in office. He also called for personal sanctions against his friend and former business partner, Timur Mindich, who is believed to be the organizer of the scheme.

Acknowledging public outrage, Zelensky stated: “In the energy sector, there must be maximum integrity in all processes. I fully support every investigation carried out by law enforcement and anti-corruption authorities. This is a clear and consistent position for everyone.”

Promising accountability for those who violate the law, Zelensky added: “Right now, the situation in Ukraine is extremely difficult for everyone—power outages, Russian attacks, and losses. Amid all this, the existence of corruption schemes in the energy sector is absolutely unacceptable.”

This incident is turning into a major political crisis for Zelensky. Anti-corruption activists, opposition politicians, and military veterans have urged Zelensky to take decisive steps, even if it means dismissing and imprisoning individuals he personally knows.

The investigation follows a 15-month probe by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) into the state nuclear energy company Energoatom. The main suspect, Mindich, is a businessman and co-founder of Zelensky’s media production company Kvartal 95.

It has been reported that Mindich likely fled abroad, to Israel, just hours before investigators arrived at his Kyiv apartment to conduct a search. He previously maintained close relations with Zelensky, but sources say they have communicated very little since Russia’s full-scale invasion.