President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked the prime minister and parliament to dismiss Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk after a major anti-corruption probe linked to state nuclear operator Energoatom. Ukraine's anti-corruption bureau says five people were detained and seven others identified in an investigation alleging about $100 million in kickbacks; eight have been accused of bribery and abuse of office. Halushchenko will be suspended pending the inquiry and says he will defend himself; Deputy Minister Liudmyla Suhak will serve as acting justice minister. Reports name Timur Mindich, a close associate of Zelenskyy, among those charged.
Zelenskyy Moves to Oust Justice and Energy Ministers Amid $100M Energoatom Corruption Probe
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked the prime minister and parliament to dismiss Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk after a major anti-corruption probe linked to state nuclear operator Energoatom. Ukraine's anti-corruption bureau says five people were detained and seven others identified in an investigation alleging about $100 million in kickbacks; eight have been accused of bribery and abuse of office. Halushchenko will be suspended pending the inquiry and says he will defend himself; Deputy Minister Liudmyla Suhak will serve as acting justice minister. Reports name Timur Mindich, a close associate of Zelenskyy, among those charged.
06:06 PM, 11/12/2025Politics
KYIV, Ukraine — President Zelenskyy urges removal of two ministers after major graft investigation
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko to remove Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk amid a sweeping corruption probe tied to state nuclear operator Energoatom.
'Among other things, this is a matter of trust,' Zelenskyy said in a video posted to his Telegram channel as he asked parliament to back the dismissals.
The move follows a National Anti-Corruption Bureau announcement that five people have been detained and seven others identified as suspects in an investigation into alleged kickbacks of roughly $100 million in the energy sector. The bureau named no suspects publicly but said they include a businessman suspected to be the alleged mastermind, a former adviser to the energy minister, and an Energoatom executive.
On Tuesday the agency accused eight people of bribery, abuse of office and holding disproportionate assets. The probe, which began about 15 months ago, has prompted Zelenskyy to urge full cooperation from officials; Energoatom says the investigation has not disrupted its operations.
Zelenskyy described any illegal schemes in Ukraine's energy sector as 'absolutely not normal' and said he would sign a decree imposing sanctions on two people linked to the case, though he did not identify them.
Prime Minister Svyrydenko earlier announced that Halushchenko would be suspended from his duties pending the investigation. Halushchenko, who served as energy minister from 2021 until July before becoming justice minister, said on Facebook he intends to defend himself in court and called suspension during an inquiry 'a civilized and proper course of action.' He has not been formally charged.
Svyrydenko named Deputy Justice Minister for European Integration Liudmyla Suhak to assume Halushchenko's duties as acting justice minister.
Local media reports say the suspected ringleader is Timur Mindich, a close associate of Zelenskyy, and that Mindich was among those charged. Top government officials and figures close to the president have been implicated in the broader scandal, according to reporting.
The developments mark a high-profile test of Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions and political leadership as authorities pursue allegations that span the energy sector. Zelenskyy's appeal for dismissals and the ongoing criminal probe underscore the government's effort to show accountability amid sensitive wartime governance challenges.