Ukraine ex-grid operator chief says raid on home meant to 'send him a message'
Editor's note: This article was updated to include comments from former Ukrenergo chief Volodymyr Kudrytskyi.
The former head of Ukraine’s state-owned grid operator Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, said in a phone call with the Kyiv Independent that his opponents were likely behind a law enforcement raid on his home on Oct. 21.
Kudrytskyi said earlier that media reports that he was being investigated due to abuse of his official position and misappropriation of company funds during his time at Ukrenergo were untrue. Instead, he believes someone orchestrated the raid to send him "a message."
"There are no allegations against me for any abuse of official position or any misappropriation of funds," he said.
"There is a criminal case where somehow the investigation came to the conclusion that they were required to look at whether my house and my car contained some documents that could help them with their investigation."
Kudrytskyi says he was initially stopped on the road by a man in military attire, who did not identify himself, and asked to see his phone. The man then snatched the phone and ran off. Minutes later, officers from the State Bureau of Investigation appeared with the phone, which was unlocked.
"They just in fact stole (my phone) from my hands," Kudrytskyi said.
Later, the State Bureau of Investigation arrived at his house with a warrant and conducted a search, but did not take anything. Kudrytskyi said that he could not comment on what the warrant stated.
The raid on Kudrytskyi’s home comes amid turmoil in Ukraine’s energy sector, as the country struggles to defend its power system from relentless Russian attacks. Ukrenergo — a lucrative state enterprise — has repeatedly been at the center of political infighting, and even its former chief now finds himself drawn back into the fray.
Earlier this month, the latest power struggle at Ukrenergo erupted after the supervisory board moved to oust the current CEO Vitaliy Zaichenko, before reversing their decision after three days of court sessions.
Kudrytskyi believes that the real purpose of the raid was to gain access to his phone and his messages. He has been outspoken about his decision to resign from Ukrenergo in September 2024, claiming corrupt individuals attempted to take over the company.
He also published social media posts supporting the independence of anti-corruption agencies after the government passed a law stripping two anti-corruption bodies of their independence. Parliament overturned the law on July 31 in response to domestic and international backlash.
"Probably someone is trying to send me a signal. However, these attempts will be in vain. I strongly believe that," Kudrytskyi said.
While he did not name names, Kudrytskyi said it could be "someone with high rankings" to have that level of influence in law enforcement. Some figures are trying to disrupt the governance of Ukrenergo, namely its procurement system, he added.
The raid could be related to Ukraine’s failure to adequately protect its energy infrastructure and current officials looking to place blame on their predecessors, said a Western observer with close knowledge of Ukraine’s business landscape who spoke to the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity.
A recent Ukrainska Pravda article revealed that when questioned by President Volodymyr Zelensky over why some energy facilities still don’t have fortifications, officials shifted the responsibility to their predecessors.
Russia’s recent mass attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure have left parts of the country in blackouts. Roughly 60% of the country’s gas production facilities have been damaged.
Kudrytskyi’s forced resignation in the lead-up to the heating season in 2024 sparked controversy both domestically and abroad, as he was largely seen as a reliable figure.
The company’s supervisory board chairman, Daniel Dobbeni, and board member Peder Andreasen said his dismissal last year was over accusations that Ukrenergo had failed to protect Ukraine’s energy infrastructure amid Russian missile strikes, and called the move "politically motivated" that had "no valid grounds."
Like all state-owned companies that handle massive procurement of equipment and services, Ukrenergo is a lucrative target for stealing, siphoning, and inflated price schemes, Andriy Boytsun, an independent corporate governance professional, previously told the Kyiv Independent.
Controlling Ukrenergo could create opportunities to inflate the government’s compensation for subsidized household electricity tariffs and premium payments to green energy producers, he added.
