Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday announced an overhaul of state-owned energy companies after a corruption scandal at the heart of a sector battered by Russian attacks sparked public outcry.
Anti-graft investigators said around $100 million had been embezzled from the energy sector, causing outrage in a country where Russian strikes have led to devastating power outages.
Zelensky ordered two ministers to resign over the corruption scheme and sanctioned a former business partner who was identified as its mastermind.
The president said on X:
We are beginning the overhaul of key state-owned enterprises in the energy sector. Alongside a full audit of their financial activities, the management of these companies is to be renewed.
Zelensky said he had instructed government officials to maintain constant and meaningful communication with law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies, adding that full transparency and integrity in the energy sector remain an “absolute priority.”
The scandal prompted some of Ukraine’s European allies to urge Zelensky’s government to do more to combat corruption.
