Ukraine's ex-grid operator chief detained a week after raid on home he called politically motivated
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Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation detained former chief of Ukraine’s state-owned grid operator Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, in Lviv Oblast, the agency confirmed to the Kyiv Independent on Oct. 28.
The arrest follows a raid on Kudrytskyi’s home a week earlier, which he claimed had been organized by his opponents to "send him a message." Kudrytskyi, dismissed from his post last year, told the Kyiv Independent after the raid that unidentified men took his phone during the search to access his communications.
As Ukraine battles to keep its power grid running under constant Russian assault, Kudrytskyi’s detention adds to growing unrest in the country’s energy sector. Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported recently, citing its sources, that current officials may be looking to blame former leaders for failing to protect energy infrastructure from Russian attacks.
Unnamed law enforcement sources told Ukrainska Pravda on Oct. 28 that Kudrytskyi is expected to face charges of large-scale fraud and money laundering in a case linked to events dating back to 2018.
The case also involves Ihor Hrynkevych, who is already under investigation in a separate defense procurement corruption probe. Hrynkevych, who allegedly orchestrated the scheme, has received a second notice of suspicion.
The investigation alleges the two may have diverted funds from the state-owned energy company during 2018 tenders for infrastructure reconstruction.
The SBI alleges that while overseeing tenders to rebuild power substations, Kudrytskyi, then serving as Ukrenergo's deputy director for investments, conspired with a private company. The sides signed two contracts worth over Hr 68 million ($1.6 million). The state company then paid Hr 13.7 million ($325,000) in advance, which was allegedly embezzled, according to the statement.
The investigators also claim that the suspects forged documents to register a company used in the scheme. They then carried out financial transactions with the stolen money to make it appear legal, the SBI said.
Previously, Kudrytkyi said that the real purpose of the Oct. 21 searches 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.
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."
