Ukraine’s Justice Minister German Galushchenko has been temporarily suspended from his duties as authorities intensify a sweeping corruption investigation into the country’s energy sector, officials and local media reported.

Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko announced the decision following an emergency government session, confirming that Galushchenko’s ministerial functions have been officially put on hold pending the outcome of the inquiry.

The move comes amid an escalating probe by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) into a $100 million bribery and money-laundering network allegedly operating within the energy sector. So far, seven senior officials, including high-ranking energy bureaucrats, have been formally charged.

Galushchenko, who previously held the post of Energy Minister, said in a written statement that he would not challenge the suspension, calling it an appropriate and civil measure during the ongoing investigation.

“I will defend myself legally and prove my position,” he said.

Deputy Justice Minister Lyudmila Suhak has been appointed to temporarily assume ministerial duties until the investigation concludes.

Investigators also uncovered that a former deputy prime minister, identified in official documents under the alias “Che Guevara,” was involved in illegal money transfers amounting to approximately $1.2 million.

The corruption probe unfolds amid renewed Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including strikes targeting nuclear plants and transformer stations, which have triggered extended nationwide power outages. The developments have fueled public debate about whether the government has implemented sufficient safeguards for the country’s critical energy facilities.

The suspension marks another high-profile step in Kyiv’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign, which has drawn significant attention from both domestic institutions and Ukraine’s Western allies monitoring the country’s governance reforms. (ILKHA)