British News Agency

The agency said the state nuclear operator Energoatom had received illegal payments amounting to 10–15%.

Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) said Monday it was conducting a wide-ranging investigation into the country’s energy sector amid allegations of bribery involving Energoatom transactions.

The bureau, which operates independently of the government, alleged that several senior figures were involved. Ukrainian media identified one of them as businessman and Zelensky associate Timur Mindich.

Mindich reportedly fled abroad just hours before investigators arrived to search his apartment in Kyiv. He is a co-owner of the media production company Kvartal 95, founded by Zelensky before his presidency.

NABU stated that several individuals had formed a criminal group and set up “a large-scale corruption scheme to influence strategic enterprises in the public sector, particularly Energoatom.” The bureau claimed these individuals forced Energoatom’s contractors to pay bribes of 10–15% to avoid payment delays or loss of supplier status.

A senior official in Zelensky’s office, responding to a question about Mindich, said the Ukrainian government “supports all actions aimed at eliminating corruption” and that evidence collected by NABU and other independent bodies should be tested in court.

The case highlights long-standing tensions between Zelensky’s administration and the country’s two leading anti-corruption agencies. In July, Zelensky signed a controversial bill that weakened the powers of NABU and the specialized anti-corruption prosecutor’s office.

The move sparked the first serious protests against his government. Thousands gathered outside the presidential office in Kyiv, waving banners reading “Shame” and “Veto the law.”

Under pressure from the public and appeals from European allies, Zelensky backed down. A new law was swiftly passed to restore the agencies’ powers, seemingly guaranteeing their independence.