President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has launched a coordinated effort to reform Ukraine's energy sector amid a major corruption probe and ongoing Russian attacks. He demanded leadership changes at key energy and nuclear regulators and the renewal of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA), with a new head to be selected by year-end. Authorities allege former associate Tymur Mindich orchestrated a scheme tied to Energoatom worth roughly $100 million; Zelenskyy is not implicated. The anti-corruption push accompanies diplomacy on gas supplies, air-defence support and prisoner exchanges.
Zelenskyy Orders Overhaul of Ukraine's Energy Sector Amid $100M Corruption Probe
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has launched a coordinated effort to reform Ukraine's energy sector amid a major corruption probe and ongoing Russian attacks. He demanded leadership changes at key energy and nuclear regulators and the renewal of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA), with a new head to be selected by year-end. Authorities allege former associate Tymur Mindich orchestrated a scheme tied to Energoatom worth roughly $100 million; Zelenskyy is not implicated. The anti-corruption push accompanies diplomacy on gas supplies, air-defence support and prisoner exchanges.
02:00 AM, 11/17/2025Politics
Zelenskyy launches drive to "clean up" Ukraine's energy sector
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced a coordinated effort to reform the country's energy sector as authorities investigate a major corruption scandal and continue to face attacks from Russia. Speaking after a meeting with Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Zelenskyy urged rapid leadership changes at the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate and the State Energy Supervision Inspectorate to remove undue influence and strengthen oversight.
Asset recovery and anti-corruption steps. Zelenskyy called for the renewal of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) and asked that the competition to select its next head be completed by the end of the year. He said this work should proceed "in full coordination with law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies" and stressed that audited assets belonging to Russian entities or to collaborators who fled to Russia should be prepared for sale so they "operate 100% in Ukraine’s interests" to support defense needs and the national budget.
"In full coordination with law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies, ensure the renewal of the Asset Recovery and Management Agency and to promptly complete the competition for the position of Head of ARMA so that the new Head of the Agency can be selected by the end of this year," Zelenskyy wrote on X.
Allegations tied to the nuclear sector. The announcement follows allegations that Tymur Mindich, a former business associate of Zelenskyy, masterminded a scheme tied to Ukraine's state nuclear operator, Energoatom. Ukraine's anti-corruption watchdogs say Mindich allegedly used loyalists to pressure contractors for kickbacks—reported as high as 15%—to circumvent bureaucratic procedures. Investigators have linked the scheme to roughly $100 million in losses. Officials say Zelenskyy is not implicated in the probe.
Diplomacy and prisoner exchanges. Zelenskyy said the anti-corruption push runs alongside diplomatic efforts aimed at restarting negotiations to end the war and reviving prisoner-of-war exchanges. He outlined a week of talks with Greece, France and Spain: a meeting with Greek officials on natural gas imports, followed by discussions with France and Spain focusing on strengthening Ukrainian air defenses and advancing POW swaps.
Zelenskyy thanked international partners and domestic institutions working on these measures and emphasized that energy-sector reforms are integral to Ukraine’s resilience and to reducing foreign—particularly Russian—leverage over critical infrastructure.