Two Ukrainian ministers resign over a corruption scandal that implicates Zelensky
They have been linked to a network that obtained commissions from contracts awarded by the national atomic energy company.
BarcelonaA day of intense activity unfolded within the Ukrainian government following the corruption scandal that broke on Monday, linking several politicians and prominent figures to an alleged scheme involving kickbacks from the state-owned atomic energy company. Early this morning, in an emergency session, the Kyiv government suspended Justice Minister and former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko from his duties due to his alleged involvement in the scheme. Parliament had initiated dismissal proceedings on Monday after it emerged that an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) indicated that, as Energy Minister, he participated in a network that obtained at least $100 million in kickbacks from Energoatom, which awarded contracts to private companies. This case has a direct impact on President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to a prosecutor from the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, the alleged ringleader, businessman Timur Minditx—a former business partner of the president and owner of 50% of the television production company he owned before entering politics—exerted direct influence over Halushchenko and the then-Minister of Defense, who is also the current Minister of Defense and head of Ukraine's negotiating team in the recent talks with Russia. In fact, the Ukrainian president shared a video on social media early Wednesday afternoon in which he claims to have met with Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko and calls for the resignation of both Halushchenko and Svitlana Hrinchuk, the current Minister of Energy. "If there are accusations, there must be answers," added the Ukrainian leader, who announced a "clean-up" of Energoatom and sanctions "against two of those implicated" in the NABU investigation of the state-owned energy company. "It's a difficult time for everyone in Ukraine. It's incomprehensible that there are still schemes in the energy sector," he concluded.
Both ended up submitting their resignations just minutes after Zelensky's video was released. However, their future now rests with Parliament, which must accept the resignations in a future session that several sources indicate could be held on November 18.
One of the biggest cases
According to the newspaper Kyiv IndependentThis is one of the biggest political scandals Ukraine has ever seen. A total of eight people have been charged with bribery, abuse of power, and illicit enrichment. The anti-corruption agency released recordings on Tuesday in which the group, using code names and encrypted language, discussed alleged kickbacks and irregular payments. According to NABU, Minditx, Zelensky's former business partner, was the main organizer. Among the other defendants is Ihor Mironiuk, a former advisor to the Minister of Energy and former deputy director of the State Property Fund. Mironiuk had also been an assistant to Andriy Derkatx, a former Ukrainian deputy accused of high treason who currently serves as a senator in Russia. According to the investigation, Derkatx's family allegedly laundered up to $100 million in kickbacks through one of their offices in downtown Kyiv.
Dmitro Bassov, a former prosecutor and former head of Energoatom's physical security department, has also been charged. Recordings reveal that those involved in the scheme allegedly handed over $1.2 million and €100,000 to Chernychev, the former deputy prime minister, who was dismissed last June for bribery and abuse of power. Of the eight defendants, Minditx and Tsukerman reportedly fled the country, while five were arrested, although it is unknown whether Chernychev was also apprehended.
According to the anti-corruption agency, the defendants collected commissions of between 10% and 15% from Energoatom's contractors in exchange for maintaining them as suppliers to the state-owned company and not blocking their services or products. Energoatom, with annual revenues of around 200 billion hryvnias (approximately $4.7 billion), is one of the country's largest state-owned and strategic enterprises. According to the investigation, those involved exploited a government regulation that prohibits contractors from pursuing legal action against certain strategic companies, such as Energoatom, while martial law is in effect. This allowed them to pressure and threaten companies to obtain bribes.
Once a politician for Zelensky
The Energoatom scandal comes at a particularly delicate time for Volodymyr Zelensky, who is trying to maintain the confidence of the population and Western allies in the face of the Russian offensive. which now threatens the strategic city of PokrovskThe Ukrainian army depends on military support from Europe and the US. questioned by Donald Trump's visionThe fact that the alleged mastermind of the scheme, Timur Minditx, is a former business partner of the president and one of the most influential figures in his inner circle has fueled the perception that corruption, an endemic problem in the country, remains deeply entrenched even at the highest levels of government. Zelensky had already taken decisive steps against corruption, such as in the scandal over inflated prices for food purchases for soldiers.
Although there is no evidence directly linking Zelensky to the corrupt scheme, the case raises uncomfortable questions, and the president will have to demonstrate his continued commitment to fighting corruption, which has been a central theme of his presidency. However, the case also demonstrates that anti-corruption mechanisms are effective even at the highest levels, a testament to institutional maturity.
