Ukraine is in turmoil after a $100 million corruption scandal inside the state nuclear energy sector forced top officials to step down and put fresh pressure on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s wartime leadership. The case, uncovered through fifteen months of wiretaps and financial tracking, reveals a kickback network inside Energoatom, Ukraine’s nuclear power giant, and draws the spotlight onto figures close to the president’s inner circle.
A 15-month probe uncovers a kickback network
NABU and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office spent over a year investigating what they later called Operation Midas. The agencies say contractors were paying 10–15% kickbacks to keep or win Energoatom contracts.The illicit money moved through shell companies and offshore routes, totalling around $100 million. Some of the funds were meant for equipment needed to shield power sites from Russian missile strikes, a detail that has amplified public anger.At the centre of the case is Tymur Mindich, a long-time business associate of Zelenskyy and a co-owner of his former production studio. Investigators say he organised the kickbacks and used his influence to shape key decisions inside the energy sector.Mindich fled Ukraine hours before his home was searched. Prosecutors now plan to try him in absentia. Zelenskyy has imposed sanctions on Mindich and Oleksandr Tsukerman, another figure tied to the scheme.
Top ministers step down as pressure mounts
The scandal quickly triggered the resignations of Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk. Zelenskyy called for accountability, and both ministers stepped down soon after.Prosecutors claim Halushchenko was influenced by Mindich during his time overseeing the energy ministry. Five other suspects have been arrested, and seven more have been placed under official suspicion as the probe expands.Zelenskyy has supported the investigation, calling it essential and stressing that “punishment must be inevitable”. He has pushed for tighter oversight in the energy sector, which is already struggling with Russian strikes that cause rolling blackouts.Yet the case has revived concerns about corruption at the highest levels during wartime. Critics argue that Zelenskyy relies too heavily on a small circle of trusted allies. Supporters counter that the probe proves Ukraine’s anti-corruption bodies remain independent and active.
A scandal with global and political consequences
The timing is sensitive. The United States has sent around $175 billion in aid since 2022, and Ukraine is under pressure from the European Commission to show firm progress on corruption before moving closer to EU membership.Zelenskyy has not been implicated, but the scandal threatens his reformist image at home and abroad. As Ukraine continues to push for Western support, the case stands as one of the most serious governance crises of his presidency.
