Ukraine Zelensky demands the resignation of two ministers

In light of a corruption scandal in the energy sector, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has called on Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko and Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk to resign. "I ask the members of parliament to support these requests," said the head of state in a video message. He emphasized that it was a question of trust. Halushchenko had only been relieved of his duties by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko that morning.

Keystone-SDA

12.11.2025, 15:38

SDA

Selensky assured the anti-corruption bodies of his support. "There will be a clean-up and a fresh start in the management of Energoatom," the head of state announced. Energoatom is the operator of Ukraine's nuclear power plants. Two suspects in the corruption scandal surrounding the nuclear company have also been sanctioned.

Huge corruption scandal

Ukraine is being rocked by a multi-million euro bribery scandal. It is alleged that payments were made not only in the energy sector, but also in the defense sector, which is important for the country's defense. The main suspect, Tymur Minditsch, a long-standing business partner of Selenskyj, evaded arrest by fleeing abroad.

Moscow used the scandal to take a swipe at Ukraine's Western supporters. According to Russian agencies, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that it was assumed that the corruption scandal would also be noticed in European capitals and in the USA. After all, these are active backers of Kiev. "Of course, these countries are actually beginning to understand better and better that a significant part of the money they take from their taxpayers is being plundered by the Kiev regime," he claimed.

According to the German government, however, no German funds are affected by the corruption scandal there, despite extensive support for Ukraine. "We have no knowledge that German support funds have been affected by the incidents," said a spokesperson for the Development Ministry in Berlin. There are also no known cases of attempted corruption at German companies.