On November 18, the Verkhovna Rada is set to vote on the resignation of two ministers linked to a probe into the embezzlement of at least $100 million from the state nuclear company. The scandal threatens both Ukraine's internal stability and its external support.
According to The Economist, Ukraine is facing its gravest political crisis since the start of the full-scale war. Government sources say President Volodymyr Zelensky is "stunned" by the scale of the allegations against members of his inner circle.
Parliament is scheduled to vote on dismissing Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko. However, the coming days promise high drama—insiders report that key players are urging the president to purge the most controversial figures in his orbit to save both his administration and the state.
15 Months of Probes and Wiretaps
Ukraine's anti-corruption bodies conducted an investigation spanning 15 months, overcoming fierce resistance from other state structures. Using covert recordings in apartments and offices across Kyiv, investigators documented a scheme to siphon at least $100 million from Energoatom, the state nuclear operator.
The details are startling. Detectives found a gold toilet in the apartment of Timur Mindich, a former business partner and close associate of the president. Accused of co-organizing the criminal scheme, Mindich fled the country hours before detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) arrived, suggesting he may have been tipped off.
Part of the stolen funds was reportedly transferred to Moscow. Other money was earmarked for building four luxury villas near Kyiv, allegedly intended for Oleksiy Chernyshov, a former deputy prime minister, and other unnamed officials. Chernyshov, Halushchenko, and Hrynchuk deny any involvement in corruption.
"Carlson," "Che Guevara," and "The Professor"
Like a mafia movie, the accused used aliases to avoid identification. Investigators allege "Carlson" is Mindich, "Che Guevara" is Chernyshov, and "The Professor" is Halushchenko.
In one transcript, a suspect complains of back pain from hauling heavy bags of cash around Kyiv. Another claims it would be a "waste of money" to invest in protecting key electrical substations near nuclear plants.
Tragically, those very substations were targeted by Russian drones and missiles on November 8—the eve of the scandal breaking. The cynicism has shocked Ukrainians, many of whom live without power or have relatives risking their lives on a front line that has struggled to contain Russian attacks in recent weeks.
Stalking Detectives and Pressure on Watchdogs
The group appeared oblivious to the recordings until July. Once they realized, intimidation of NABU detectives began. They were tracked, their home addresses identified, and suspects somehow gained access to secret surveillance footage—usually reserved for law enforcement—to monitor the investigators. It became a James Bond-style chase, with detectives using creative methods to evade tails and gather evidence.
Around the same time, the President's Office began pressuring anti-corruption bodies. On July 21, several detectives involved in the probe were detained by the security service. The next day, MPs from the president's party rushed through a bill stripping Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies of operational independence—a move reversed only after mass public outcry.
Prosecutors attempted to charge Oleksandr Klymenko, head of the SAPO (Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office), but ultimately backed down. Klymenko says the investigation only advanced because the President's Office failed in its efforts. "If they hadn't rolled back the law, we simply wouldn't have been able to finish the investigation," he says.
How High Does the Rot Go?
Sources close to the investigation say it remains unclear how high awareness of the schemes—which involved 10-15% kickbacks on Energoatom contracts—reached. Zelensky himself participated in a phone call with one of the accused, though not in a compromising manner.
In fact, the scheme's roots appear to stretch back decades, long before the president took office in 2019. Many alleged syndicate members—and one of the offices they used—are linked to Andriy Derkach, a former MP who ran Energoatom in the 2000s before fleeing to Russia in 2022.
Well-placed sources argue the president could not have known all the details, especially while focused on the war effort. "If Zelensky knew the scale of the crimes, he never would have repealed the law in July," says a source close to NABU. However, the proximity of his associates to the scandal may be enough to jeopardize his political future. One Ukrainian intelligence officer describes it as a "blow of atomic proportions."
Threat to the War Effort
The scandal threatens Ukraine's fight against Russia on two fronts. Domestically, it risks deepening cynicism and fueling desertion as the front line is already stretched.
Abroad, it complicates Ukraine's case for the estimated $100 billion a year needed to sustain the fight. Some are using the corruption revelations not as proof of independent institutions working, but as an argument to cut support. Several European ambassadors have reportedly expressed concern over the political fallout.
The scandal has already ended two ministerial careers. The government has promised a full audit of state-owned companies. Yet the rot likely cannot be contained without a broad—and politically painful—reset.
Andriy Yermak Under Fire
The knives are out for Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's formidable chief of staff, who has alienated friends and foes alike by monopolizing power and access to the president.
He is not accused of involvement in the corruption scheme. But as the architect of Zelensky's system, he is vulnerable given the scandal's scope. Allies under pressure say he is being unfairly demonized. "People want easy solutions, and they want to blame everything on Andriy," says Iryna Mudra, deputy head of the President's Office, dismissing attempts to implicate him as "baseless speculation."
Day of Reckoning
Zelensky faces no easy choices. Anti-corruption investigators and his government have been on a collision course since at least the July attempt to curb the agencies' powers. Now that the probe is public, some accused may cut deals, revealing even more damaging information. Five have been arrested; others may follow. The next phase could last a year, offering the president no quick relief.
Sources close to anti-corruption bodies say they are scrutinizing the country's massive defense sector. This is focusing minds among the elite. Some want a total government reset. Others see an opportunity for the president to shed officials they describe as "ballast" dragging him down.
"Zelensky is facing a day of reckoning," says a senior official. "The choices aren't good. Either he amputates the leg, or he gets an infection that spreads through the whole body and kills him."