Millions in bribe payments, investigations and a Zelensky confidant who went into hiding: the Ukrainian energy company Energoatom has found itself in the sights of corruption investigators.
November 11, 2025, 2:56 p.mNovember 11, 2025, 3:08 p.m
Bojan Stula / ch media
After a series of raids over alleged corruption at the Ukrainian state energy company Energoatom, Volodymyr Zelensky has called for strict measures and sentences. “Keeping the company clean is a priority,” said the Ukrainian president in his evening video message. Anyone “who was involved in corrupt machinations should be punished,” said Zelenskyj at the end of the video.
“Our heroes did not die for corruption”: The participant in an anti-corruption demonstration in Kiev in the summer of 2025.Image: keystone
The investigative authorities – in particular the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (Nabu) and the specialized anti-corruption prosecutor’s office (Sapo) – say they are conducting a complex investigation against corruption in the energy sector. In an official statement, Nabu speaks of a “high-level criminal organization” that “has built a large bribery network to control key state-owned companies such as Energoatom.” This was reported by the online portal “Kyiv Independent” among other media on Tuesday.
Ukraine is currently applying its long-range sanctions against Russia virtually on a daily basis. And we have clear results in the form of reduced Russian capabilities every day. Russia must keep losing, and this is actually a peacemaking tactic.
We are preparing agreements… pic.twitter.com/id4aULCqpl
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) November 10, 2025
The entrepreneur Timur Mindich is at the center of the investigation. The 46-year-old producer was a former business partner of Zelensky and co-owner of the media company Kvartal 95. According to reports, Mindich left the country shortly before searches took place at his Kiev residence on November 10. Particularly spicy: Just a few days ago, investigative journalists from “Ukrainska Pravda” revealed that Mindich was able to significantly expand his economic influence under Zelensky. In addition, according to the Kyiv Independent, he could also have been the author of previous attempts to restrict the independence of the Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities.
According to Nabu, Mindich’s group operated a bribery system in which 10 to 15 percent of the contract amounts had to be paid for the construction of protective structures for energy systems.
The main suspect, Timur Mindich, is now said to have fled Ukraine.Image: social media
Mindich is also linked to the Minister of Justice and former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko – whose private rooms were also targeted by searches. According to Ukrainska Pravda, Nabu tapped the phones of at least four current or former ministers; There was also an arrest within the corruption hunters’ own ranks.
The affair hits Kiev at a critical phase: While Russian missiles and drones are increasingly attacking the energy infrastructure, Zelensky emphasizes that Energoatom supplies the majority of electricity production for his country. In this context and in the midst of war, a major scandal in the energy sector seems particularly sensitive. Critics see this as a setback in the difficult fight against corruption, which also represents an obstacle to Ukraine’s desired European integration. (aargauerzeitung.ch)
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