“Lights Out for Corruption?” Zelenskyy Demands Prison Terms in Energy Scandal
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a press conference during the European Political Community summit in Copenhagen, Denmark, October 2, 2025. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
President Zelenskyy has finally acknowledged that fighting corruption isn’t just about loud statements — it’s about real prison terms.
He said this in an evening video address.
“Any effective action against corruption is essential. The inevitability of punishment is essential,” Zelenskyy said.
According to him, Energoatom currently provides the largest share of Ukraine’s electricity generation, which makes integrity within the company a top priority.
The President emphasized that everyone involved in building corruption schemes must face clear procedural consequences.
“There must be convictions. Government officials must cooperate with NABU and other law enforcement agencies — and work in a way that delivers real results,” he concluded.
As a reminder, NABU and SAPO are conducting a large-scale operation “Midas” to expose corruption in the energy sector. According to the investigation, the activities of a high-level criminal organization were established, which controlled financial flows and personnel decisions in state energy structures.
It is known that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau exposed an office in downtown Kyiv through which those involved in a corruption scheme in the energy sector legalized illegally obtained funds.
By the way, detectives of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau are conducting searches at the home of former Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko and at JSC NNEGC Energoatom. The investigation concerns corruption schemes in the energy sector, which, according to the investigation, have been operating for a long time.
The day before, Justice Minister Herman Galushchenko, who headed the Ministry of Energy until the end of July 2025, called for an end to discussions of his previous activities, in particular regarding tariff policy.
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