Zelenskyy removes former justice and energy ministers from Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has removed former justice minister Herman Halushchenko and former energy minister Svitlana Hrynchuk from the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.

Source: presidential decree No. 845/2025

Quote: "Herman Halushchenko and Svitlana Hrynchuk shall be removed from the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine, effecting a partial amendment to Article 1 of the Decree of the President of Ukraine dated 19 July 2025 No. 501/2025 On the composition of the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine."

Details: The decree enters into force on the day of its publication.

Background:

• On 12 November, Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko submitted to the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) proposals to dismiss Herman Halushchenko and Svitlana Hrynchuk from the posts of ministers of energy and justice.
• A prosecutor from the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) said earlier that Tymur Mindich, the alleged ringleader of the Energoatom laundering scheme and a close friend of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, built connections with Halushchenko through his links to Zelenskyy and acted as a patron for Halushchenko in relation to Zelenskyy.
• Law enforcement agencies have evidence that members of a corruption scheme in the energy sector handed over cash to a former deputy prime minister of Ukraine whom they referred to amongst themselves as "Che Guevara" (thought to be Oleksii Chernyshov).
• An episode from tapes released by Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies shows Zelenskyy calling Halushchenko following a message from Mindich.

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