A Ukrainian deputy energy minister has been arrested on charges of accepting a bribe worth half a million dollars, along with three alleged accomplices, as announced by Ukraine’s SBU Security Service on Monday.
The minister, whose name was initially withheld by the SBU, allegedly demanded payments from mining industry officials in exchange for allowing the transfer of valuable equipment from mines in the frontline eastern Donetsk region to a coal basin in western Ukraine. The equipment in question is described as unique and critical, belonging to a state-owned coal company in Pokrovsk, an area heavily impacted by ongoing conflict.
In the spring of 2024, representatives from the mining sector reportedly approached the deputy minister to seek permission to evacuate the equipment from the war zone and repurpose it at mines in a safer western region. However, instead of granting the necessary permissions, the official, who was responsible for safeguarding the mining equipment, demanded a significant sum of money for its release.
The SBU’s investigation led to the arrest of the minister and his three accomplices, who were caught “red-handed” after the minister had received a portion of the bribe. While the identities of the suspects were initially kept confidential, Ukrainian opposition MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak later identified the minister as Oleksandr Kheilo, a deputy energy minister. Following the arrest, Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers issued an order to dismiss Kheilo from his position.
Ukraine, which has been grappling with corruption issues even before Russia’s invasion in 2022, has vowed to intensify its anti-corruption efforts as part of its bid for European Union membership and to maintain the trust of its Western allies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who campaigned on a platform of eradicating corruption, has previously dismissed several officials, including his defense minister, over corruption scandals within the military.