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Why was Galushchenko detained at Ukraine's border?
Summary
A look back at the arrest of a former energy minister in the Operation Midas corruption investigation.
What happened on 15 February 2026, when a former minister was stopped as he tried to leave Ukraine? On that date, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested German Galushchenko, the former energy minister, at the state border.
The bureau linked him to an alleged kickback scheme in the energy sector worth ₴4 billion, or about US$100 million. The case falls under Operation Midas. As reported at the time, he was detained while attempting to leave the country by train, and the arrest came amid corruption accusations against him.
What Operation Midas covers
Operation Midas is an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office. It was launched in 2024 and concerns large-scale bribery in Ukraine's energy sector, committed during the Russo-Ukrainian war.
The evidence-gathering phase lasted 15 months. Investigators carried out more than 70 searches, seized 4 million US dollars and obtained about 1,000 hours of audio recordings of conversations between suspects.
The arrest of 15 February 2026 placed a former holder of the energy portfolio among those detained in that investigation.
