Zelensky orders sweeping reforms after $100M energy graft scandal. He demanded a full audit and immediate management changes at state energy firms, ordered two ministers to step down and sanctioned an alleged mastermind. A new supervisory board for Energoatom is to be appointed within a week, with leadership changes also sought at Ukrhydroenergo, Naftogaz and the main gas operator. European partners have urged Kyiv to strengthen anti-corruption measures.
Zelensky Orders Swift Overhaul of State Energy Firms After $100M Corruption Scandal
Zelensky orders sweeping reforms after $100M energy graft scandal. He demanded a full audit and immediate management changes at state energy firms, ordered two ministers to step down and sanctioned an alleged mastermind. A new supervisory board for Energoatom is to be appointed within a week, with leadership changes also sought at Ukrhydroenergo, Naftogaz and the main gas operator. European partners have urged Kyiv to strengthen anti-corruption measures.
05:54 AM, 11/16/2025Politics
Zelensky Announces Major Shake-Up of State Energy Sector
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday announced a rapid and wide-ranging overhaul of state-owned energy companies after a corruption scandal that investigators say siphoned off about $100 million from the sector. The revelations provoked public anger in a country where Russian attacks have already caused widespread power outages and heightened sensitivity to energy security.
Immediate actions: Zelensky ordered two ministers to resign, imposed sanctions on a former business associate identified as an alleged ringleader, and demanded a full audit and management renewals across key state energy firms.
“We are beginning the overhaul of key state-owned enterprises in the energy sector,” Zelensky wrote on X, stressing that full transparency and integrity in the energy sector are an absolute priority.
He instructed that a new supervisory board be installed at Energoatom, the state nuclear company at the heart of the scandal, within a week to enable a complete management overhaul. He also called for the rapid appointment of a new head at hydropower producer Ukrhydroenergo, and announced planned reforms at oil and gas giant Naftogaz and the main gas operator.
Zelensky said his administration will fully cooperate with anti-corruption investigators and has directed officials to maintain constant, meaningful communication with law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies. The scandal has prompted some European allies to press Kyiv to accelerate its anti-corruption efforts and to ensure that funds meant to maintain critical infrastructure are protected.
The episode has intensified scrutiny of a sector already coping with war-related damage, operational strain and high public sensitivity to outages and missing funds. The investigation is ongoing and further personnel and structural changes are expected as audits proceed.