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Ukraine Accelerates Cleanup After Energoatom Kickbacks Probe Roils Zelenskyy’s Circle

Kyiv seeks to reassure partners with sanctions, sweeping audits, energy‑sector shake‑ups after a $100 million kickbacks case.

Overview

  • Anti-corruption agencies say a 15‑month Operation Midas probe uncovered 10–15% skims on Energoatom contracts worth about $100 million, backed by more than 70 raids and extensive wiretaps.
  • Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk resigned at President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s request, with both denying wrongdoing.
  • Prosecutors and NABU identify multiple suspects, with five detained and at least two — Tymur Mindich and Oleksandr Tsukerman — having left Ukraine; Zelenskyy imposed sanctions on both.
  • The government relaunched Energoatom’s supervisory oversight, ordered audits across state-owned companies, moved to reshape energy enterprises, and paused a gas transit operator hiring process flagged in wiretaps.
  • Western officials urged vigorous action on corruption as Kyiv pledged transparency, with prosecutors citing recordings that reference Zelenskyy; he is not under investigation and has vowed to hand audit results to watchdogs.