EU leaders urged Ukraine to sustain anti-corruption efforts after a major kickback scandal tied to state nuclear operator Energoatom risked eroding donor confidence. Kyiv removed several officials as a 15‑month probe using about 1,000 hours of wiretaps produced five detentions and implicated seven others in an alleged $100 million scheme. The EU approved a €6 billion loan and pledged continued financial support while exploring additional funding options. Separately, Ukraine reported using an FP‑5 "Flamingo" cruise missile in strikes and intense fighting continued around Pokrovsk in Donetsk.
EU Urges Sustained Anti‑Corruption Drive in Ukraine as Energoatom Kickback Scandal Tests Donor Confidence
EU leaders urged Ukraine to sustain anti-corruption efforts after a major kickback scandal tied to state nuclear operator Energoatom risked eroding donor confidence. Kyiv removed several officials as a 15‑month probe using about 1,000 hours of wiretaps produced five detentions and implicated seven others in an alleged $100 million scheme. The EU approved a €6 billion loan and pledged continued financial support while exploring additional funding options. Separately, Ukraine reported using an FP‑5 "Flamingo" cruise missile in strikes and intense fighting continued around Pokrovsk in Donetsk.
11:00 PM, 11/13/2025Politics
KYIV, Ukraine —
European Union leaders on Thursday urged Kyiv to maintain a vigorous fight against corruption after a major embezzlement and kickback scandal tied to state nuclear operator Energoatom threatened to weaken international confidence. At the same time, EU officials reassured Ukraine that financial assistance will continue as Kyiv strains to repel Russia’s invasion.
EU pressure and Kyiv’s response
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz spoke by phone with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, emphasizing the need for continued anti-corruption action and stronger rule-of-law reforms, Merz’s office said. According to a German statement, Zelenskyy pledged "full transparency, long-term support for independent anti-corruption authorities and rapid further measures" to restore confidence among Ukrainians, European partners and international donors.
A European Commission spokesperson in Brussels framed the probe as evidence that Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions are functioning. "This investigation shows that anti-corruption bodies are in place and functioning in Ukraine," spokesperson Guillaume Mercier said, while stressing that fighting corruption remains a core requirement on the path to EU membership.
Developments in the Energoatom investigation
The scandal centers on alleged kickbacks linked to procurement at the state nuclear utility. After the justice and energy ministers resigned Wednesday amid the widening probe, the government dismissed Energoatom’s vice president and the heads of its finance, legal and procurement departments, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said.
“During a full-scale war, when the enemy repeatedly attacks our energy infrastructure and the country endures rolling outages, any form of corruption is unacceptable,” Svyrydenko said. “Rooting out corruption is a matter of honor and dignity.”
Anti-corruption agencies say the 15‑month investigation, which included about 1,000 hours of wiretaps, led to five detentions and implicated seven others in a scheme alleged to have generated roughly $100 million. A Kyiv court has begun hearing evidence from the watchdogs. Among the suspects is Tymur Mindich, a co-owner of Zelenskyy’s Kvartal 95 production company; his whereabouts remain unknown.
The probe has renewed scrutiny of what senior officials knew and recalled Zelenskyy’s earlier bid last year to limit the powers of Ukraine’s anti-corruption watchdogs — a move he reversed after public protests and international pressure.
EU financial support and options
Despite concerns about governance, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the disbursement of a €6 billion ($7 billion) loan to Ukraine and pledged more funding to help meet Kyiv’s needs over the next two years. The EU is exploring options to raise additional funds, including seizing frozen Russian assets, issuing debt on capital markets or mobilizing direct contributions from member states.
Military updates
On the front lines, Ukraine’s top commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited troops near Pokrovsk in Donetsk to coordinate operations as Ukrainian forces engage in intense urban fighting and seek to keep supply and evacuation routes open.
The Ukrainian general staff also reported using a newly produced FP‑5 cruise missile — nicknamed the "Flamingo" — to strike dozens of targets in Russian-occupied areas and, according to the statement, inside Russia. Ukrainian officials and some experts say the missile can fly about 3,000 kilometers, carry a large payload and achieve precision strikes; these performance claims come from Ukrainian sources and outside analysts and have not been independently verified here.
Reported strikes included an oil terminal, a helicopter base, a drone storage site and an air-defense radar in annexed Crimea, and an oil storage depot plus two command centers in occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia. The Ukrainian general staff provided no further details about specific targets on Russian soil.
Associated Press reporting contributed to this summary.