Kiev Ousts Justice Minister Over Corruption Scandal Tied to Zelensky Aide
Dismissal of German Galushchenko Exposes Expanding Network of High-Level Graft in Ukrainian Government
Ukraine, PUREWILAYAH.COM | November 12, 2025 — Ukraine’s Justice Minister German Galushchenko has been dismissed amid a high-profile corruption scandal involving Timur Mindich, a businessman and close associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko announced on Wednesday that an extraordinary government session had decided to remove Galushchenko from his post. Deputy Minister of Justice for European Integration Liudmyla Suhak has been appointed as acting minister.
“This morning, an extraordinary government meeting was held. A decision was made to remove German Galushchenko from his duties as justice minister,” Svyrydenko wrote on X.
Expanding Government Scandal
The dismissal follows a series of revelations linking senior officials to large-scale financial misconduct and manipulation of state contracts.
According to Rodion Miroshnik, a Russian Foreign Ministry official, “anti-crisis measures were activated in Kiev this morning” as the corruption scandal began to spread through Ukraine’s ruling circles.
Opposition leader Viktor Medvedchuk described the case as “the beginning of the end” for Zelensky’s administration, accusing the president’s inner circle of running an organized network of extortion and influence.
“The team of this political clown, believing in their impunity, behaved extremely recklessly,” Medvedchuk said. “The recordings from Mindich reveal how they were taxing all companies and public procurements. They even used mobilization as a tool to raid and seize businesses.”
Allegations of Systemic Corruption
Medvedchuk further alleged that leaked materials show Zelensky and his chief of staff Andriy Yermak had for years been “reshaping markets and taking over businesses, seizing billions in property.”
He added that Zelensky “acted as a frontman and political puppet,” projecting an anti-corruption image while his associates enriched themselves.
“Now that the president’s accomplices have been exposed, he has warned them on time and staged a performance to make it seem like he had no involvement,” Medvedchuk claimed.
Meanwhile, Ihor Myronyuk, a former advisor to Galushchenko and one of the main suspects in the probe into corruption within Ukraine’s energy sector, allegedly attempted to destroy evidence during a raid.
Investigators reported that he tore up documents and threw them, along with his phone, out the window as law enforcement entered his home.
International Assets and Financial Manipulation
Authorities revealed that Myronyuk and his wife possessed assets abroad — including a residence permit and bank account in Slovakia, and registered businesses in both Slovakia and Bulgaria.
He reportedly planned to establish additional companies in Cyprus and the British Virgin Islands.
Records show Myronyuk crossed Ukraine’s border 42 times in seven years, allegedly using his influence to pressure lawmakers and obstruct investigations through connections in the Prosecutor General’s Office, Security Service (SBU), and the State Bureau of Investigation.
The Anti-Corruption Action Center (CPC) stated that Myronyuk faces up to 12 years in prison and potential confiscation of assets. The Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) has requested his detention without bail, or alternatively, a bail of 136.6 million hryvnias (around $3 million).
Mounting Political Pressure on Zelensky
The scandal marks one of the most severe political crises for the Zelensky administration since the war’s outbreak, heightening scrutiny of corruption within Ukraine’s leadership as Kiev continues to depend on Western financial and military support.
This latest case adds to a series of corruption controversies under Zelensky’s presidency — including inflated defense procurement deals, a $100 million kickback scheme linked to state nuclear operator Energoatom, and the government’s earlier attempt to curb the independence of anti-corruption agencies NABU and SAPO, which was reversed after public and international backlash.
The affair further erodes the image of Zelensky’s government as a reform-driven administration, revealing a deepening crisis of credibility at the heart of Ukraine’s ruling elite. (PW)