On February 17, the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine (VAKS) decided to impose a preventive measure on Herman Galushchenko, the former Minister of Energy of the country, placing him in custody for a period of 60 days until April 15. According to Ukrainian media, this decision is based on charges of money laundering and participation in a criminal organization.
The court determined the possibility of releasing Galushchenko on bail of 200 million hryvnias (approximately 3.9 million euros). Prosecutors insisted on a higher bail of 425 million hryvnias (about 8 million euros), while the former minister himself stated that he could only provide 30 million hryvnias. If he is able to post bail, he is prohibited from leaving Kyiv and the Kyiv region, as well as from communicating with other individuals involved in the case, including businessman Timur Mindich, and he will be required to wear an electronic bracelet. Galushchenko expressed disagreement with the court's decision and plans to raise funds for lawyers to file an appeal.
Galushchenko's detention occurred on February 15, 2026, when he attempted to leave Ukraine. He became a figure in the "Midas" case, which concerns large-scale embezzlement at the state enterprise "Energoatom." This investigation was conducted by the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office of Ukraine (SAP) and the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).
On February 16, he was charged with legalization (money laundering) and participation in a criminal organization, which, according to investigators, during his time in government, received more than 112 million dollars (94 million euros) in illegal income in the energy sector.
Herman Galushchenko served as the Minister of Energy of Ukraine from April 2021 until July 2025, after which President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed him as Minister of Justice. However, on November 10, 2025, NABU conducted searches at Galushchenko's premises, as well as at "Energoatom" and at businessman Timur Mindich, who is a close associate of Zelensky and co-owner of the "Quarter 95" studio. Against the backdrop of the scandal, on November 12, Galushchenko was suspended from his position as Minister of Justice.
According to the investigation, there was a scheme at "Energoatom" in which organizers demanded "kickbacks" of 10-15% of the contract value, forcing counterparties to pay to avoid blocking payments for delivered goods and services and to maintain their status as suppliers. This scheme was unofficially named "barrier."
"In fact, a system was created in which a strategic enterprise with revenues exceeding 200 billion hryvnias was managed by an outsider without authority, who took on the role of a shadow manager, while the actual leaders, the supervisory board, and the state as the owner remained on the sidelines," the NABU statement emphasized.
