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Ukraine's energy and justice ministers, Svitlana Grynchuk and Herman Halushchenko, have resigned following a major corruption investigation into the nation's energy sector. This comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky's call for their removal amid allegations of a $100 million embezzlement scheme involving the national nuclear operator Enerhoatom. Some of those implicated are reportedly close to the Ukrainian president.

 

The investigation, conducted by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (Nabu) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (Sap), has been ongoing for 15 months. It accuses several figures, including Justice Minister Halushchenko and former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, of receiving payments from contractors working on fortifications against Russian attacks. Key individuals allegedly connected to the scandal include businessman Timur Mindich, who is said to have fled the country.

 

Halushchenko has declared his intention to contest the accusations, while Grynchuk maintains her innocence on social media, denying any legal violations. The anti-corruption bodies revealed that investigators have gathered extensive evidence, including 1,000 hours of audio recordings, detailing kickbacks between 10% and 15% of contract values. Proceeds of the scheme were reportedly laundered and transferred outside Ukraine, with some links to Russia.

 

The corruption probe is among the most significant faced by Ukraine, exacerbated by ongoing Russian assaults on the nation's energy infrastructure. Despite efforts by Nabu and Sap over the past decade, corruption remains a massive challenge. Opposition emerged in July when changes threatened the independence of these anti-corruption agencies, prompting protests and fears of jeopardising Ukraine's EU candidate status, reported the BBC.

 

International partners and the G7 ambassadors expressed deep concern over the developments, leading to President Zelensky restoring the agencies' independence. While the backlash subsided, questions remain about Zelensky's commitment to anti-corruption initiatives. The current scandal further tests his resolve and could lead to increased scrutiny.

 

 

 

Key Takeaways

 

• Ukraine’s Energy and Justice Ministers resign amid major corruption probe.
• Investigation reveals $100 million embezzlement involving national nuclear operator.
• Ongoing scandals threaten Ukraine’s anti-corruption reforms and EU candidacy.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from BBC 2025-11-13

 

 

Ooops not a good look.

Taking action against corruption is a very good look. 

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Taking action against corruption is a very good look. 

 

It's a little late for that, isn't it?

 

Corruption in Ukraine????

 

Surely not... 😄

3 hours ago, impulse said:

 

It's a little late for that, isn't it?

 

No

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

Corruption in Ukraine????

 

Surely not... 😄

Dealt with by a responsible government. No cry of fake news and low life reporters. 

21 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Taking action against corruption is a very good look. 

Only look. He should start from himself.

19 hours ago, impulse said:

It's a little late for that, isn't it?

At least 30yrs too late.

21 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Taking action against corruption is a very good look. 

 

Ukraine is known to be one of the most corrupt places on earth. 

 

Where you been ?

21 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Taking action against corruption is a very good look. 

 

Yet, nobody ever cares about stamping out hypocrisy.....

Not meaning you, of course. 

Just the tip of an iceberg.  West throwing billions at Ukraine and zero accountability.  They are notorious at fraud along with assisting Nazis during WW2.  

6 hours ago, blaze master said:

 

Ukraine is known to be one of the most corrupt places on earth. 

 

Where you been ?

Not as much as the country where the President pardon criminals convicted on public corruption. That got to be the most corrupted country abetted by the President. 

5 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Not as much as the country where the President pardon criminals convicted on public corruption. That got to be the most corrupted country abetted by the President. 

 

It's the haircut. All you guys go to the same barber.

38 minutes ago, blaze master said:

 

It's the haircut. All you guys go to the same barber.

Not the haircut but the turning a blind eye to Trump's corruptions and yet have the gall to criticize others for corruption.  

Ukraine is a criminal state run by one.

Ukraine is, and has been for many years, a den of vice and corruption.

Zelensky is a brave man for going up against corrupt people. If only...

Zelensky close associate Timur Mindich was one of  the group charged for corruption. That's how to deal with corruption in your country. Trump can learn from him. 

24 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Zelensky close associate Timur Mindich was one of  the group charged for corruption. That's how to deal with corruption in your country. Trump can learn from him. 

Zelenskyy picked the corrupt people, and it’s a disastrous look. He personally nominated both ministers at the center of the $100 million Energoatom kickback scandal:

Herman Halushchenko, who moved from Energy to Justice, and Svitlana Hrynchuk, his successor in the Energy Ministry. One of them operated under the influence of Timur Mindich, Zelenskyy’s former business partner from his Kvartal 95 TV days, who allegedly orchestrated the scheme.

These weren’t rogue appointments forced on him by parliament — his Servant of the People party controls the Verkhovna Rada and rubber-stamped both picks. He only demanded their resignations after NABU’s investigation exposed the corruption, not before.

This isn’t his first cleanup: the 2023 defense procurement scandal forced out Defense Minister Reznikov, and now two more ministers are gone in 2025. With 85% of Ukrainians already seeing government corruption as rampant, this pattern of hand-picking tainted officials — one tied to his own past — isn’t just a bad look. It’s a full-blown leadership crisis, eroding trust, jeopardizing EU aid, and undermining morale during a war where every blackout feels like betrayal.

 

And you say Trump can learn from him??????

...This Is The Guy That Told America... *'Yes, We Have Received Hundreds Of Billions, But We Can't Account For More Than Half Of It' ... (?)

 

...Angry That He Was left Out Of This Minuscule 100M 'Transaction'...(?)

 

*(Unless It Has Now Been Taken Down, It Was On The Internet)

2 hours ago, SOTIRIOS said:

...This Is The Guy That Told America... *'Yes, We Have Received Hundreds Of Billions, But We Can't Account For More Than Half Of It' ... (?)

 

...Angry That He Was left Out Of This Minuscule 100M 'Transaction'...(?)

 

*(Unless It Has Now Been Taken Down, It Was On The Internet)

 

You have omitted the rest of his explanation. Intentional I hope not. 

 

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said he had only received $75 billion of the $175 billion the United States had spent on Ukraine. The cry went up, what happened to the other $100 billion? Was it lost or stolen? The answer is no. Only part of the aid goes through Ukrainian control. A large part pays for activities as a result of the war but not to Ukraine directly. These include the United States training of Ukrainian forces, global humanitarian assistance, additional costs of U.S. surge forces in Europe, and intelligence support for both NATO and Ukraine.

On 11/13/2025 at 4:12 AM, webfact said:

questions remain about Zelensky's commitment to anti-corruption initiatives.

Jeez, Zelensky going after corruption is like OJ going after the real killers. Man's a centimillionaire from stealing US taxpayer funded aid, my hard-earned money and yours.

 

I can't wait for Putin to get done with Ukraine. What's left won't have much lby way of agriculture or industry or minerals, so Kusher-Witkoff will turn it into a mega-resort state with Ukrainian men staffing high-end hotels and their lovely women, cough, cough, helping.

 

Heck, from the Slavic babes I see here at our very own disco Mixx I'll be one of the first to sign up for a 7-day trip to Playground Ukraine.