The government of Ukraine has suspended its Justice Minister, Herman Galushchenko, effective Wednesday, November 12, 2025, following the initiation of a major criminal investigation into an alleged $100 million corruption scheme within the nation’s energy sector. The suspension, announced by Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, comes as a significant political earthquake and emphasizes the persistent challenges Kyiv faces in combating high-level graft. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) confirmed the Minister is suspected of having links to a network that funneled state funds, particularly from the nuclear energy company Energoatom.
Galushchenko, who previously served as Energy Minister from 2021 until July 2025 when he took the Justice portfolio, is implicated in a systematic plot to illegally divert funds intended for critical infrastructure. The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) has accused Timur Mindich, a close ally of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, of orchestrating the kickback scheme. According to SAPO, Galushchenko allegedly received “personal benefits” from Mindich in exchange for control over money flows in the energy sector over a period that NABU says spanned 15 months.
Minister Denies Wrongdoing as Details Emerge
In connection with the probe, five people were initially detained earlier this week, and prosecutors later named a total of seven suspects. Notably, Ihor Myronyuk, an advisor to Galushchenko, was among those charged. The case has also been fueled by revelations from NABU’s investigation, codenamed “Midas,” which included audio recordings of conversations featuring Galushchenko. A prosecutor stated that one recording includes a conversation between Mindich and Galushchenko that occurred after the Minister visited the Presidential Office, suggesting high-level political influence.
Following his suspension, Justice Minister Galushchenko released a statement on Facebook on November 12, 2025, agreeing with the government’s decision to step aside during the inquiry. He maintained his innocence and vowed to fight the claims. “I believe that suspension for the duration of the investigation is a civilized and correct scenario. I will defend myself in the legal domain and prove my position,” he wrote, though he has not yet been formally charged as a suspect. His duties have been temporarily assigned to Deputy Minister Lyudmyla Suhak.
The suspension and the investigation are being viewed with mixed emotions by Ukraine’s Western partners. While the magnitude of the alleged corruption is deeply concerning, the decisive and swift action by Ukrainian anti-graft bodies is being framed as evidence of Kyiv’s commitment to judicial reform—a crucial prerequisite for deeper integration with the European Union. A US State Department representative commented that, while the scandal is serious, “swift action like this is exactly what our partners expect to see from Kyiv as they continue their path toward economic and democratic reform.”
The investigation serves as a critical test for President Zelenskyy’s administration and the country’s independent anti-corruption institutions. With the nation battling a war and facing a difficult winter with a heavily damaged energy grid, the $100 million embezzlement scandal has sparked widespread anger and placed intense pressure on authorities to deliver a transparent and conclusive judicial result that demonstrates accountability at the highest levels of government.
