NABU exposed a powerful corruption scheme at Energoatom: Mindich, Galushchenko, Myronyuk are at the center of the scandal

Personnel and money under the control of "watchers": how investigators caught top officials in massive "kickbacks" and why the case could change the Ukrainian energy sector

Ukraine, November 2025. A high-profile special operation by the NABU and SAPO — a large-scale scheme that operated for years and encompassed the country's strategic energy campaign. According to the investigation, a group of high-ranking figures and businessmen controlled the flow of funds, the appointment of managers, and the procurement processes at the state-owned Energoatom — a company with an annual revenue of over 200 billion hryvnias¹.

How the "barrier" scheme worked: details and main actors

According to NABU, Energoatom's contractors were forced to pay "kickbacks" - from 10 to 15% of the contract amount. Without this, payments were blocked, or the company lost its supplier status. The scheme was called "the barrier" internally - it was the reason for searches and mass investigations by Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies².

The main figures involved:

• Ihor Myronyuk is a former advisor to the Minister of Energy, who formally managed personnel policy.
• Herman Galushchenko, former Minister of Energy, currently Minister of Justice, is suspected of influencing procurement and distribution of flows.
• Timur Mindich — businessman, head of the organization, one of the central figures in the case, allegedly oversaw all strategic decisions and personal appointments³.
• Dmytro Basov is the director of physical protection, a former prosecutor.

Control mechanisms: who made the decisions and who got the percentages

The system was structured so that personnel appointments, cash flows, and supplier selection were actually carried out by so-called “watchers” — individuals without formal authority but with real influence. All key decisions were approved through a hypothetical “back office” that managed roles, contract agreements, and even litigation between companies.³.

During the searches, law enforcement officers found artifacts with Russian symbols (a notebook with the emblem of the Russian presidential security service), which became an additional argument for an in-depth investigation into international connections in the case.

Searches, notes, videos and reactions of those involved: how the operation took place

On November 10, NABU searched the office Timur Mindich, Herman Galushchenko and Ihor Myronyuk — simultaneously with these actions, searches were launched in many divisions of Energoatom. Investigators seized documents, equipment, accounting records, and recordings of telephone conversations between key actors.
Audio excerpts appeared on social media, in particular on the channel of People's Deputy Yaroslav Zheleznyak, where the defendants negotiate "tenders" and share insider information about appointments.
Mindich, according to sources, fled the country just hours before the searches, likely to Israel or the EU. Galushchenko now denies the charges and claims "political pressure."

Consequences for the energy sector, the country, and the authorities: what will the investigation conclude?

The investigation is considering the case not only as a criminal episode, but also as part of a large systemic crisis of public administration. If the involvement of all participants is proven, the country will face a large-scale audit of the personnel composition of the energy industry, changes in logistics and procurement algorithms, and preservation of the institutional independence of companies.

Political pressure is growing: The President's Office promises a "tough response," and anti-corruption agencies announce a new series of inspections for all strategic state enterprises.

International dimension and prospects for Ukraine's partners

Ukraine's partners in the EU and the US are closely monitoring the progress of the investigation. It's not just about money: trust in the Ukrainian energy sector, investor protection, and guarantees of transparency of processes are conditions for new loans, investments, and political support.
Sources in the US emphasize that similar incidents in the coming months will affect the rest of Ukraine's integration processes into the system of European standards.
Experts emphasize: to restore its reputation, the country must prove the real independence of law enforcement agencies from political pressure.

Sources

1. RBC-Ukraine: NABU exposed a corruption scheme at Energoatom (09.11.2025)
2. TSN: NABU searches Mindich and Halushchenko's homes
3. Glavred: NABU exposed corruption in the energy sector – Mindich, Myronyuk, Galushchenko appear
4. 24 Channel: Exposing Mindich and Galushchenko's scheme: audio recordings appear online
5. UNIAN: Mindic – records of corruption in the energy sector made public
6. Delo.ua: Energoatom commented on the searches conducted by anti-corruption authorities