Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced on November 17 the start of financial oversight at state enterprises, including the national atomic energy generating company Energoatom. She held a relevant meeting with the head of the State Audit Office, Alla Basalaeva, emphasizing that the audit of Energoatom is a key focus for the government.
This is reported by Finway
Audit of Energoatom: Key Details of the Inspection
Svyrydenko reported that the State Audit Office will examine the financial and economic activities of the central management apparatus of the enterprise, as well as ten of its branches, including three nuclear power plants, covering the period from 2023 to 2025. Interim audit results are expected in December. All materials will be forwarded to law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies for appropriate action.
“The State Audit Office will check the activities of the enterprise’s management apparatus, ten of its branches, including three nuclear power plants, for the years 2023–2025. We agreed that the interim audit results should be ready by December. The audit materials will be sent to law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies for appropriate response,” Svyrydenko stated.
Meanwhile, the government has begun preparations for conducting audits at other key state companies in the energy sector: Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine, Centrenergo, and Ukrgazvydobuvannya. Svyrydenko emphasized that she expects monthly reports on the progress of all inspections throughout the entire oversight period.
Context: Investigation and Energy Management Update
The head of the government emphasized that if violations are found, actions will be taken promptly to ensure the transparency of state enterprises. Earlier, the Cabinet of Ministers approved an action plan for updating the composition of supervisory boards and executive bodies of energy companies.
On November 14, President Volodymyr Zelensky held a meeting with Yulia Svyrydenko, during which the Prime Minister reported on the launch of audits in state companies. These steps were a response to the investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau regarding Energoatom and Svyrydenko’s announced “comprehensive solution” for the transparency of all state companies, especially in the energy sector.
On November 10, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine reported the exposure of a criminal organization that systematically received illegal benefits from Energoatom’s contractors, amounting to 10–15% of the contract value. Within this case, eight individuals have been suspected, including businessman and co-founder of the Kvartal-95 studio Timur Mindich (codename “Karlson”), former advisor to the Minister of Energy Igor Mironyuk (“Rocket”), Executive Director for Security of Energoatom Dmytro Basov (“Tenor”), as well as employees of the “back office for money laundering”: Oleksandr Tsukerman (“Sugar Man”), Igor Fursenko (“Ryoshik”), Lesya Ustyimenko, and Lyudmila Zorina. Later, suspicion of illegal enrichment was announced against former Deputy Prime Minister for National Unity Oleksiy Chernyshov.
One of the suspects, Oleksandr Tsukerman (“Sugar Man”), called the accusations from NABU and SAP “lies” and promised to return to Ukraine. Timur Mindich refrained from commenting, but the National Security and Defense Council has already imposed sanctions on both.