Ukraine is experiencing the harshest winter of the war. The power outage has lasted from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm in recent days. Russia’s attacks are now becoming more effective, and there are no signs that they will end in the near future. … The mercury has begun to dip below freezing, leaving residents wondering if the power outage could have been avoided. After the outbreak, those suspicions became more than justified. Bribery and money laundering scandal in the energy field.
One of the people identified by the anti-corruption body is Herman Galushchenko, who was head of the energy sector from 2021 to July 2025. He then served in the Ministry of Justice until he was removed this week by order of President Zelenskiy.
Criticism of Galushchenko’s work was made public in the Ukrainian and Western media. Almost a year ago, the British newspaper The Times ran a headline: “Corruption in energy sector leaves Ukrainians facing deadly freeze.” British newspapers reported that engineers from Britain and other allies advised their Ukrainian colleagues to protect the power grid. That was in February 2024. Nine months later, “President Zelenskiy’s government is not doing any of that,” the report stressed.
Galushchenko was summoned by Ukraine’s parliament in August last year with the support of 270 members to explain “the ministry’s role in the fight against corruption in the energy sector,” opposition lawmakers said. Jaroslav Zhelezniak. A few days ago, a Ukrainian judge accused Deputy Minister of Energy Oleksandr Khayl of accepting $500,000 in bribes.
On October 16, the media “Ukrainska Pravda” highlighted the lack of initiative and priority within the Ministry of Economy to strengthen the protection of energy infrastructure. “They had more interesting things to deal with, such as persuading the Verkhovna Rada to buy a ‘Bulgarian-made’ reactor for the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant,” the article says. This is precisely where the epicenter of the corruption scandal that forced Mr. Galushchenko’s resignation lies. Energo Atoma national nuclear energy company.
Another controversial issue was the dismissal of Volodymyr Kudritsky, director of the state electricity transmission company Ukrenergo. Kidritsky’s case was very popular at home and abroad. Management had received €1.5 billion in aid from the West to protect its power system. His resignation also resulted in the loss of some important funding provided by international partners.
During his tenure as Secretary; ukulenergo Up to 60 shelters were built for power infrastructure that withstood the attack. Relations between Kidritsky and Garushchenko were not good. Now, Ukrenergo’s former president claims that Garshchenko tried to take control of the company. Many people believed that the former minister, who was accused of corruption, had initiated the dismissal. In October, Kidlicki was indicted by the National Bureau of Investigation, claiming his case was a “very poorly planned and executed political vendetta.”
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