Kyiv names new board members of state nuclear energy company in wake of corruption scandal
The Ukrainian government has approved the selection of four independent members of the new supervisory board of state nuclear energy firm Energoatom, Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko announced on Dec. 31.
The decision to form a new supervisory board came after Energoatom, Ukraine's state-owned nuclear operator, was implicated in a high-level corruption scandal in fall 2025. An investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) uncovered evidence that Timur Mindich, a close ally of President Volodymyr Zelensky, was the ringleader in a kickback scheme involving Energoatom and other energy companies.
The four independent members of the new board have been unanimously approved, Svyrydenko said. Three additional state representatives will be selected for the board in the beginning of January 2026.
The approved members are Canadian engineer Rumina Velshi, Lithuanian finance expert Laura Garbenciute-Bakiene, former Westinghouse CEO Patrick Fragman, and French attorney Brice Bohuon.
Velshi is an international expert in nuclear safety and regulatory oversight with over 40 years of experience. She has led Canada's nuclear regulator, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Safety Standards Commission, and the International Nuclear Regulators Association.
Garbenciute-Bakiene is a specialist in finance, audits, and risk management in the energy sector. She brings over 25 years in the industry, with management experience at PricewaterhouseCoopers and at strategic energy facilities, including Lithuania's Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant.
Fragman, the former president and CEO of the U.S. nuclear power company Westinghouse, is an engineer and manager with over 30 years of experience in the nuclear energy industry.
Bohuon is a lawyer specializing in energy regulation and corporate governance. He has held senior positions at the French state energy firms EDF International and EDF International, and has worked for the French Energy Regulatory Commission.
Ukraine is also continuing to reform the supervisory boards of other state energy companies, including Naftogaz, Ukrenergo, and Ukrhydroenergo, Svyrydenko said. A total of 12 companies are undergoing major review.
A state audit of Energoatom is also underway, the prime minister said.
Svyrydenko's announcement comes a month and a half after Zelensky said Ukraine was initiating a "reboot" of key state-owned energy enterprises, involving management overhauls and comprehensive financial audits, in response to the corruption investigation.
Energoatom is the largest producer of electricity in Ukraine and manages the country's four nuclear power plants, although the Zaporizhzhia plant is currently under Russian occupation. The company has faced numerous accusations of corruption, particularly bribery and embezzlement.
