Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is battling one of the biggest political crises of his presidency after a sweeping corruption scandal engulfed his administration, even as the European Union reaffirmed its financial support for Kyiv amid the ongoing war with Russia.
According to The Associated Press, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz underscored European concerns during a phone call with Zelenskyy on Thursday, emphasizing the need for “energetic” efforts to stamp out graft. Merz’s office said he “underlined the German government’s expectation that Ukraine press ahead energetically with fighting corruption and further reforms, particularly in the area of the rule of law.”
According to the statement, Zelenskyy pledged “full transparency, long-term support for the independent anti-corruption authorities and quick further measures to win back the confidence of the Ukrainian population, European partners and international donors.”
The corruption probe centers on a suspected $100 million kickback scheme within Ukraine’s energy sector.
Following the resignations of the justice and energy ministers on Wednesday, the government dismissed the vice president of Energoatom, the state-owned nuclear power company, allegedly at the center of the scandal.
Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko said the heads of Energoatom’s finance, legal, and procurement departments, along with a consultant to its president, were also fired.
“During the full-scale war, when the enemy is destroying our energy infrastructure every day and the country is living under power outage schedules, any form of corruption is unacceptable,” Svyrydenko said in a video statement. “In the most difficult times, our strength lies in unity. Eradicating corruption is a matter of honor and dignity.”
A Kyiv court has begun hearing evidence gathered during a 15-month investigation that included 1,000 hours of wiretaps and led to the detention of five people and implicated seven others. Investigators believe Tymur Mindich, co-owner of Zelenskyy’s former media company Kvartal 95, is the scheme’s mastermind. His whereabouts remain unknown.
Despite the scandal, EU officials said the investigation itself shows Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions are functioning effectively. “This investigation shows that anti-corruption bodies are in place and functioning in Ukraine,” European Commission spokesman Guillaume Mercier said. “Let me stress that the fight against corruption is key for a country to join the EU. It requires continuous efforts to guarantee a strong capacity to combat corruption and a respect for the rule of law.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced Thursday that the EU would disburse a €6 billion ($7 billion) loan to Ukraine and continue financial support over the next two years. “We will cover the financial needs of Ukraine for the next two years,” she told the European Parliament.
As political fallout spread in Kyiv, Ukraine’s top commander, Gen. Oleksandr Syrskyi, visited front-line units fighting to hold Pokrovsk in eastern Donetsk, where Ukrainian troops are locked in intense street battles with Russian forces. Syrskyi said Ukraine’s forces remain in control of key positions and supply routes.
“There is no question of Russian control over the city of Pokrovsk or of the operational encirclement of Ukraine’s defense forces in the area,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military launched new strikes using a domestically produced FP-5 cruise missile, targeting Russian-occupied areas in Crimea and Zaporizhzhia. The general staff reported that “several dozen objects” were hit, including an oil terminal, helicopter base, and command centers, as the war’s front lines remain fiercely contested.
