Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Fires Ministers As $100 Million Energy-Corruption Scandal Escalates; Russian-Affiliated Churches Face Pressure

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has moved to contain mounting public anger over a major corruption scandal in the energy sector by firing two ministers accused of involvement in a vast bribery scheme, while Russian-affiliated churches report increased pressure during wartime.

Zelenskyy dismissed Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk after anti-corruption investigators alleged they were linked to a kickback scheme at the state nuclear energy company Energoatom.

The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) says contractors were forced to pay 10–15 percent bribes to maintain supplier status or avoid blocked payments.

NABU named businessman Timur Mindich — a former partner in Zelenskyy’s entertainment company Kvartal 95 — as the suspected organizer of the scheme, which investigators say siphoned off up to $100 million. Mindich reportedly fled abroad, possibly to Israel, just hours before officers arrived to search his Kyiv apartment.

The agency released audio recordings of alleged participants using code names; Halushchenko was reportedly referred to as “the Professor”, while Mindich was called “Karlson.” At least seven suspects have been formally notified of charges, and searches continue nationwide.

‘ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE’

Grynchuk and Halushchenko resigned on Wednesday, denying wrongdoing. Halushchenko called his suspension “appropriate,” saying he would defend himself in court.

Zelenskyy acknowledged the public’s frustration at a time when Ukrainians face rolling blackouts and renewed Russian missile strikes.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that, amid all this, there are also corruption schemes in the energy sector,” he said. “There must be maximum integrity in absolutely all processes.”

Opposition figures, veterans, and anti-corruption activists warn the scandal could become a defining moment for the president unless those responsible — including long-time associates — face real accountability.

The scandal threatens to undermine the Ukrainian government’s efforts to advance its bid for European Union membership.

HUNGARY CONCERNED

The government of neighboring Hungary, one of the EU’s most vocal critics of Kyiv’s entry, has repeatedly cited massive corruption and governance weaknesses as reasons the war-ravaged nation can’t join the 27-nation bloc.

The corruption scandal comes while a prominent anti-corruption detective tied to the Energoatom probe, Ruslan Magamedrasulov, remains detained on charges of collaborating with Russia — allegations his lawyer says are politically motivated.

Tensions have also spread to Russian-speaking Christians, with Russian-affiliated churches, especially the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) and others viewed by Kyiv as linked to Moscow, facing investigations and other state pressure during the war, according to rights monitors.

As Ukraine battles Russian aggression, corruption, and internal tensions, analysts warn the scandal could further undermine public trust and intensify scrutiny over Kyiv’s reform commitments.

The upheaval comes while soldiers are dying on the frontlines, and civilians suffer too, in the ongoing fight against Russia, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

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