Ukraine's anti-corruption authorities have detained former energy minister German Galushchenko while he was attempting to leave the country, officials said, in the latest development in a major corruption probe.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) said detectives stopped a former minister "while crossing the state border" as part of the so-called Operation Midas investigation. While the agency did not name him, several Ukrainian media outlets identified the suspect as Galushchenko. Reports said he was detained on a train and is being taken to Kyiv for questioning.
Galushchenko was forced out of government last year after being implicated in an alleged $100 million embezzlement scheme linked to the energy sector, including contracts at state nuclear operator Energoatom. Investigators allege officials collected kickbacks of up to 15% from contractors and laundered funds abroad. He has denied wrongdoing.
The scandal has put pressure on President Volodymyr Zelensky's administration, which came to power pledging to tackle corruption, and comes as Kyiv faces continued war with Russia and pursues closer integration with the European Union...