Corruption scandal in Ukraine. Panicked Kyiv is trying to repair the damage
Top officials are trying reassure Kiev's Western partners. The bribery scandal in the energy sector, which involves current and former senior officials and some associates of President Volodymyr Zelensky, has caused concern among allies.
— We must act quickly and decisively on the battlefield, as well as in key areas of the country. The government's task is to show the Ukrainian society and partners that we will not tolerate corruption under any circumstances and we will respond quickly to all facts, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko told POLITICO.
— We value our strong and lasting relationships with foreign partners. It is important for us to maintain these relationships based on trust, and any threats to them are unacceptable, she added.
As the scandal unfolded, Kiev announced high-profile resignations, sanctions against Zelensky's former business partner, serious control and reshuffling of state-owned energy companieswanting to show that Ukraine can effectively clean its own house.
— In a time of full-scale war of aggression, when Russia is destroying our energy system day after day and our citizens suffer from constant power outages, we must fight corruption with the same determination with which we fight the external threat, Svyrydenko said. – IN the most difficult times our strength is unity. Eliminating all corruption in government institutions is a matter of dignity for our government. We are responsible to our defenders, she added.
This message was also promoted by Zelensky's representatives.
Ukraine in need
“There is no room for impunity, regardless of whether someone is a close or distant ally,” Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, told NBC News on Thursday evening. “It's not a pleasant thing, but we have never experienced something like this in the history of Ukraine, and this means that some of our actions are really paying off.”
The corruption scandal shook Kiev inappropriate momentbecause Ukraine is urging its EU partners to take a huge risk and agree to a reparations loan of EUR 140 billion (PLN 592 billion) from seized Russian assets.
Ukraine probably needs financial help to survive the harshest winter since Russia's invasion began in 2022. Allies who still want to support Kiev also want answers about corruption.
— The president made it very clear: for him there are no untouchableswho are involved in corruption or crimes. He is a very principled person. First of all, he is not corrupt himself, said Zelensky's chief adviser, Andriy Yermak, in an interview with the Axel Springer Global Reporters Network, to which POLITICO belongs.
“Everything that happened is the result of completely independent investigations,” Yermak said. — This proves that all these bodies are independent and operational.
Restoring trust
Citing Russian infiltration, the Ukrainian parliament passed a bill in July that would strip key anti-corruption bodies of their independence and subject them to political control.
Zelensky signed the bill, but under intense pressure from Western allies who considered it an anti-democratic move, he changed his mind.
At that time, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) was in charge investigation into the case of Timur Mindicz — Zelensky's former business partner and co-owner of Kwartał 95 Studio, a production company founded by the comedian-turned-president.
Before prosecutors revealed Mindicz as the alleged leader of a multimillion-dollar energy conspiracy, he fled to Israel earlier this week. POLITICO could not reach him for comment.
Kyiv has now announced a series of actions aimed at reassuring its allies. A senior Ukrainian official, who spoke to POLITICO on condition of anonymity, said leaders want to show they are urgently working to eliminate corrupt practices because they are weakening the country in the face of Russian President Vladimir Putin's ongoing offensive.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and members of the Ukrainian government, Kiev, November 3, 2025 (stock photo)Stringer / PAP
These actions include the almost immediate removal of Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk from their duties. On Friday, Zelensky announced that Svyrydenko would present new candidates for these positions.
Fight against Russia, fight against corruption
Moreover, the government announced a new launch on Tuesday supervisory board of the nuclear energy operator Enerhoatom — the state organization at the center of the scandal — and the removal of the company's supervisory board and vice-president. On Wednesday, a serious financial audit of state public procurement in Enerhoatom and other state-owned companies, mainly from the energy sector, was announced.
On Thursday, the government also suspended the competition for a management position in the Ukrainian state gas transportation system because one of the finalists was mentioned in NABU recordings as a possible suspect in the alleged machinations of Mindicz. In addition, the authorities ordered supervisory boards to conduct audits of all strategic state-owned enterprises, mainly in the energy sector.
However, Ukrainian supervisory authorities say it will be necessary to fully restore confidence further actions. A major new reform could turn a reputational fiasco into an opportunity to show that Ukraine actually wants to permanently stamp out corruption, said Mykhailo Zhernakov, executive director of the Dejure Foundation, a Kyiv-based judicial reform watchdog.
— I believe that the government of Ukraine has all the powers to show our partners that we made a mistake, but instead of proposing point solutions, we are introducing systematic changes said Zhernakov.
On Friday evening, Yermak wrote on Telegram that he met with Julie Davis, the U.S. chargé d'affaires in Ukraine, and talked to her about the matter.
“We talked about the fight against corruption. We expressed our common belief that investigations into recent high-profile cases should be thorough, professional and impartial and should lead to real results and not be used to destabilize the situation in Ukraine in favor of Russia's plans,” he said.
