“Friendly fire” in Kyiv and the “Energoatom” case: Galushchenko claims there was an assassination attempt in 2022
16 January 21:45
Former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko stated that an attempt was made on his life during the early days of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
He reported this during a meeting of the parliamentary Temporary Investigative Commission, a broadcast of which was released by MP Oleksiy Goncharenko, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
What Halushchenko said
According to Halushchenko, the incident occurred on February 26, 2022, in Kyiv. Afterward, he was assigned state security protection. When asked by members of the TSC whether the attempt was carried out by Russian forces, the former minister gave an evasive answer.
“Friendly fire or not—that’s a separate story,” he said, refusing to elaborate on the circumstances.
Galushchenko stated that he was shot at directly in the capital, describing the situation as “the days of the Makhnovshchina” and “friendly fire.” After that, he said, he was forced to change his place of residence and lived for some time in a house linked to former Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko.
At the same TSC hearing, the former minister confirmed that he is a witness in criminal proceedings regarding corruption in the energy sector and has already given testimony to investigators.
He also acknowledged that he is acquainted with businessman Timur Mindich, explaining that their children were classmates. At the same time, Galushchenko denied the investigation’s claims regarding Mindich’s influence on his work as minister.
“There was no pressure whatsoever,” he emphasized.
What is known about the “Mindich case”
German Galushchenko is implicated in a case involving possible “kickbacks” at the state-owned company “Energoatom.” In NABU’s materials, he is mentioned in recordings of covert investigative actions involving the individuals implicated in the proceedings.
According to investigators, the context of one of the conversations suggests that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the then-Minister of Energy following a request from Timur Mindich—a businessman considered close to the head of state.
Amid the public outcry over this case, the government initially suspended Halushchenko from his post, and later the Verkhovna Rada voted to dismiss him. However, as of now, the former minister has not been formally charged in connection with this criminal proceeding.
