Reaction or consequences of NABU tapes : Zelensky calls for resignation of two ministers
12 November 2025 16:50
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Energy cannot remain in office after the emergence of charges as part of the NABU investigation into possible schemes in the energy sector. He said this during a video address, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
“This is a matter of trust. If there are accusations, they must be answered. The decision to remove him from office is prompt, the fastest,” the president said.
He called on the prime minister to secure resignations from both officials and asked members of the Verkhovna Rada to support their dismissal.
In addition, Zelenskyy asked the members of the Verkhovna Rada to support these statements.
“And then everything has to be resolved in the legal plane. There will also be a decision of the National Security and Defense Council on sanctions based on the proposal of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. It is extremely difficult for everyone in Ukraine right now. We are going through power outages, “Russian” strikes, and losses. It is absolutely abnormal that there are still some schemes in the energy sector. I will sign a decree imposing sanctions against two people involved in the NABU case against Energoatom,” the President emphasized.
What the Cabinet of Ministers says
Following Zelenskyy ‘ s statements, the Cabinet of Ministers decided at an extraordinary meeting to submit to the National Security and Defense Council proposals for personal sanctions against two people involved in the case, businessmen Timur Mindich and Oleksandr Zukerman.
According to First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, the decision was made on the grounds set out in the Law of Ukraine “On Sanctions”.
HACC imposes a preventive measure on one of the key defendants in the case
Meanwhile, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) has imposed a preventive measure on one of the key defendants in the case, former Energy Minister Ihor Myroniuk, according to a court broadcast.
The court remanded him in custody for 60 days with the right to post bail of UAH 126 million.
According to the investigation, Myroniuk, together with former Energoatom director Dmytro Basov (known as Tenor on the tapes), controlled procurement and personnel appointments at the state-owned company. Myroniuk himself (on the tapes – “Rocket”) allegedly facilitated the participation of businessmen Mindich and Zukerman in corruption schemes.
SAPO prosecutor Serhiy Savytskyi said that in the summer of 2025, Myroniuk interviewed Svitlana Hrynchuk, who soon became the head of the Ministry of Energy.
What are the next steps in the Energoatom case?
The NABU and the SAPO continue to investigate the Energoatom case.
The NSDC will consider a sanctions package against Mindich and Zuckerman in the near future.
The government expects resignations from the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Energy.
As a reminder, after the large-scale anti-corruption operation Midas, the government decided to remove Herman Halushchenko from his duties as Minister of Justice.
What is known about the Energoatom embezzlement case
on November 10, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) announced a large-scale operation called Midas to expose corruption in the energy sector, which included more than 70 searches.
The agency has released recordings of conversations between the codenamed suspects and claims that they were part of the scheme: “Rocket,” who was an adviser to former Energy Minister and now head of the Ministry of Justice Herman Halushchenko; “Tenor,” who was executive director of physical protection and security at Energoatom; a well-known businessman; and four other people. In total, they managed to launder $100 million.
Energoatom stated that it fully cooperates with the investigating authorities, promotes a transparent investigation and provides all materials requested by law enforcement.
Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk said that neither she nor the previous head of the department, Herman Halushchenko, had an advisor named Ihor Myroniuk, who is mentioned in the investigation under the pseudonym “Rocket.” She also noted that Energoatom is not directly managed by the Ministry of Energy, but assured that the agency “will respond in accordance with the results of the investigation.”
The President’s Office commented on the investigation by anti-corruption agencies into the energy sector embezzlement scheme and said that “there must be inevitability of punishment for all those involved.”
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that “effective actions” are needed and that there must be inevitable punishment for all those involved in the energy sector schemes.
On the morning of November 10, media outlets cited sources as saying that NABU officers had searched the home of businessman and co-owner of Kvartal 95 Timur Mindich. According to the publication, he had left Ukraine a few hours earlier. The State Border Guard Service stated that they had no access to information about the businessman’s departure.
The media also claim that the first deputy head of the SAPO, Andriy Sinyuk, had access to high-profile cases and held “secret meetings” before Mindich’s alleged departure. In a commentary to journalists, the official said that he did not “leak” any information and that he did not have access to cases that could be related to Mindich and Energoatom.
As a result, the head of the SAPO, Oleksandr Klymenko, set up a commission for an internal investigation into the possible leakage of data from the pre-trial investigation by the NABU and the SAPO.
on November 11, during a court hearing to choose a preventive measure for Ihor Myroniuk, the prosecutor in the case announced that Herman Halushchenko, former Minister of National Unity Oleksiy Chernyshov, and Timur Mindich are involved in the Energoatom embezzlement case and are also under investigation.
