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Ukraine’s Justice Minister German Galushchenko has been suspended from his post as part of a sweeping anti-corruption investigation into alleged large-scale money laundering in the country’s energy sector, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said, according to a statement from the Cabinet of Ministers.
"This morning, an extraordinary meeting of the government was held. A decision was made to remove German Galushchenko from the duties of the minister of justice. By the decision of the government, the duties of the minister were assigned to the deputy minister of justice for European integration, Lyudmila Sugak," Svyrydenko said in the statement.
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) said earlier this week they had uncovered a “large-scale” corruption scheme worth up to $100mn, involving laundering operations through an office in Kyiv. Five individuals have already been detained as part of the probe.
Local media, including Ukrainska Pravda, reported that NABU detectives searched premises linked to Galushchenko, who served as energy minister before a government reshuffle in July, citing sources in law enforcement.
In a related development, NABU and SAPO said late on November 11 that a former deputy prime minister, identified only by the codename “Che Guevara”, was also implicated in the corruption network. Investigators alleged that members of the group transferred $1.2mn and nearly €100,000 in cash to the politician. A formal notice of suspicion of illicit enrichment has been issued, the agencies said on Telegram.
The case has drawn significant public attention as Kyiv continues to emphasise its anti-corruption drive — a key condition for progress in EU accession talks and continued Western financial support.
“After months of intensifying pressure against the anti-corruption agencies (seen as agents of foreign influence by much of the country’s leadership), the searches represent a strike that lands very close to Zelensky personally,” commented Timothy Ash, associate fellow in the Russia and Eurasia programme at Chatham House and senior sovereign strategist at RBC Bluebay Asset Management in London.
Ukraine’s energy sector, a critical part of its wartime economy, has long been viewed as vulnerable to graft and opaque business practices. The government has faced growing pressure from international partners to increase transparency and strengthen oversight mechanisms.
Neither Galushchenko nor his representatives have commented publicly on the allegations. The justice ministry has yet to release an official statement.
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