Corruption in Ukraine
Ukrainian justice minister fired after searches
Updated 11/12/2025 – 8:23 a.mReading time: 2 minutes
Ukraine is being rocked by an unprecedented corruption scandal under President Zelensky. Millions are at stake and the first arrests are being made. Now the scandal reaches the government.
Ukrainian Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko has been relieved of his duties following searches related to corruption investigations. The government decided this in an extraordinary meeting, said Prime Minister Yulia Swyrydenko on Telegram.
Former Energy Minister Halushchenko is one of several suspects in an unprecedented corruption scandal in Ukraine under the leadership of President Volodymyr Zelensky. There had been searches at Halushchenko’s house the day before. He has been justice minister since July.
Halushchenko wrote on Telegram that he agreed with Zvyrydenko. He wrote that he believes removal for the duration of an investigation is a civilized and correct course of action. He also announced that he would defend himself legally and present his position.
His ministry in Kyiv had confirmed the investigative work. Halushchenko fully supports the law enforcement authorities, it said in a statement the day before. The Ministry of Justice consistently “adheres to the principle of zero tolerance for corruption.” No details were given about possible allegations.
The National Anti-Corruption Office and the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) of Ukraine had previously announced investigations into the Energoatom company. It’s about bribes that are said to have flowed into the construction of protective devices around energy systems against Russian air strikes. On Tuesday, the anti-corruption office reported five arrests and seven suspected cases. The group is said to have laundered around $100 million (86.4 million euros) in bribes.
At the center of the investigation is Selenskyj’s long-time companion Tymur Minditsch. He not only exerted influence on Halushchenko, but also on former Defense Minister Rustem Umjerov, as public prosecutor Serhii Savytskyj said, according to media reports. In a statement, Umjerow admitted contacts with Minditsch, but strictly rejected allegations of corruption.
Minditsch is a confidant and business partner of President Zelenskyj from his days as an actor. It was said that the main suspect had influenced state decisions “in the energy and armaments sectors”. Minditsch is said to have left Ukraine. Zelensky demanded that guilty people should be convicted regardless of their character.
Energoatom spoke of an “incident” that had no impact on the company’s financial stability, electricity production and the safety of Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Nevertheless, it appears to be about Ukraine’s biggest bribery scandal during the war against the aggressor from Russia, which has lasted more than three and a half years. Despite reforms, the country aspiring to join the EU is still considered one of the states in Europe most susceptible to corruption.
