‘We’ll see who the SBU really works for’: Investigative journalist reveals explosive details in Energoatom case

Speaking on Radio NV, Nikolov cited his own sources, claiming Halushchenko tried to downplay the need for protective infrastructure for nuclear power workers.

“Halushchenko personally told Volodymyr Zelenskyy not to stress about building defenses for nuclear workers, claiming the Chinese had asked Putin not to strike the plants because a nuclear disaster would be bad optics. And yet, yesterday Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said the Russians fired anyway,” Nikolov said.

He continued: “Halushchenko’s comments fit perfectly into a narrative of state treason. That’s exactly where I’d look for the people who prevented us from preparing our energy system for this winter’s brutal strikes. And this isn’t the only such case.”

“Where is the wonderful person who blocked the competition for building gas piston electricity generators? I’m talking about distributed gas plants that should already be supplying power to areas where major thermal stations were destroyed. I’ve reported on this. So did Ukrainska Pravda. Nothing changed. Not from Halushchenko, not from Shmyhal, not from Svyrydenko. It’s a disaster. We could have had an extra 600 MW of power independent from Russian attacks,” he said.

“In cities like Chernihiv, now bouncing from blackout to blackout, that extra electricity could have meant functioning sewage systems. I mean that literally — without power, sewers stop. You can’t pump waste with holiday cheer. Only electric pumps do that. And he blocked that, too.”

Nikolov added: “Everything Halushchenko did — pulling Zelenskyy and the top leadership into shady deals — looks like a blueprint for corruption. Let’s build nonsense at the Khmelnytskyi nuclear plant that might help in 10 years, instead of preparing for strikes now. It all fits the narrative of treason. If the SBU doesn’t react and keeps chasing nonsense at NABU or elsewhere, it’ll just confirm who they really work for. Unfortunately, that’s how the system has worked for decades.”

Discussing Halushchenko’s background, Nikolov said: “He’s a longtime government bureaucrat. He first popped up during Yanukovych’s presidency, when he became VP for legal affairs in Andrii Derkach’s energy network. Sadly, many things in that circle still connect to Russia today. Later, he moved to the Justice Ministry and reportedly held a minor position in the President’s Office. He survived in low-level jobs until Zelenskyy brought him back in 2019 — the year when many figures with Russian ties reemerged, including Andrii Portnov and other notorious characters. Halushchenko was one of them and jumped straight into the energy sector.”

Nikolov also raised concerns about the head of Energoatom, Petro Kotin.

“It’s possible Kotin never personally signed any of the shady contracts. We’ve seen this trick before — like at the Defense Ministry, where one procurement director ended up carrying the burden for thousands of corrupt deals because he signed off. Two ministers dodged responsibility entirely.

I hope Kotin is held accountable. A strong hint that he understood what was going on is that he suddenly resigned this summer after years of leading Energoatom — just one day after word leaked that NABU detectives were wiretapping the Ministry of Justice. He quickly fled abroad, using his 60+ age to cross the border freely. And then… well, we’ll see. I hope justice catches up to him, too.”

On Nov. 10, 2025, MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported that searches were conducted at the home of Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko — also Ukraine’s former energy minister — and at the offices of Energoatom.

The Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and NABU later said they had uncovered large-scale corruption in the energy sector, involving a scheme to exert influence over Energoatom. They did not provide further details.

That same day, Ukrainska Pravda, citing sources, reported that NABU agents also searched the home of businessman Tymur Mindich — co-owner of Kvartal 95 studio and a longtime associate of Zelenskyy. According to the report, Mindich left Ukraine just hours before the searches.