«An extraordinary government meeting was held today. We have decided to suspend Herman Halushchenko from assignments Minister of Justice. This task will temporarily be carried out by Liudmyla Suhak», announced Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. That The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has just dismissed Herman Halushchenko from his post. Svyrydenko, as reported by the Kyiv Post, wrote on Telegram that the decision was taken at an unscheduled government meeting held this morning, Wednesday 12 November. SUhak is currently Deputy Minister of Justice for European Integration.
The reaction
Halushchenko later issued a statement acknowledging the decision and saying he supported it. «I completely agree: first you need to make a political decision and only then deal with all the details. I do not hold this position and believe that suspension during the investigation is a civilized and correct step»Halushchenko wrote. And added: «I will defend myself legally and prove my position».
Investigation
On Monday, November 10, investigators from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) searched Halushchenko’s home as part of an investigation into corruption in the energy sector. Lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak confirmed that NABU also searched the offices of Energoatom, the state nuclear operator where Halushchenko previously worked. According to Ukrainian media reports citing sources, the search was part of a single investigation that also involved businessman Timur Mindich, former co-owner of the Kvartal 95 studio and long-time collaborator of President Volodymyr Zelensky. According to some sources, Mindich has left Ukraine.
Evidence collected by Anti-Corruption
NABU and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution (SAPO) have previously uncovered a large-scale corruption scheme at Energoatom, where members of the organized criminal group allegedly demanded bribes of 10-15% from contractors. Investigators discovered that illicit funds were laundered through an office in central Kiev allegedly linked to the family of former lawmaker Andriy Derkach, who, accused of treason, was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship in 2023 and now lives in Russia.
President Zelensky called ridding Energoatom of corruption one of the country’s top priorities. On Tuesday, the company’s supervisory board held an extraordinary meeting amid the scandal, after which the government stripped it of its powers. Before joining the government, Halushchenko held various public positions, including roles in the Prosecutor’s Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the presidential administration. He also served as Executive Director of Legal Support at Energoatom (2013-2014) and later as Vice President of the company (2020-2021).
Halushchenko was appointed Minister of Energy on 29 April 2021. After Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal resigned in July 2025, he became Minister of Justice under the new government led by Yulia Svyrydenko.
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