Ukraine’s former energy minister, a one-time close ally of president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has been charged by anti-corruption authorities after being detained as he tried to flee the country. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (Nabu) said on Monday that a former energy minister was charged with money laundering and alleged involvement in a criminal organisation, without naming the minister. A person involved in the investigation confirmed to the Financial Times that it was German Galushchenko. A Nabu official said its detectives had pulled the former energy minister off a Warsaw-bound train on Sunday after it stopped at the border during a routine passport control check. Nabu said the minister was attempting to flee the country.

Source: The Irish Times February 17, 2026 01:17 UTC