Khaberni - A court in Kyiv has ordered the former head of the Ukrainian state energy company Volodymyr Kudrytsky to be held in detention on suspicion of embezzling public funds, a step that has raised concerns about political interference as the country enters its fourth winter during the war.
The prosecution stated that Kudrytsky - who was dismissed last year - is accused of participating in the embezzlement of 13.7 million hryvnias (about 327,000 dollars) in 2018.
The Pechersk District Court in Kyiv issued a decision that prescribes a preventive measure in the form of detention against Kudrytsky, under which he must remain in jail for two months before trial unless he pays a bail of 300,000 dollars.
The head of the Anti-Corruption Committee in the Ukrainian parliament, Anastasia Radina, stated on social media that the case currently appears to be a form of political pressure on Kudrytsky.
Political Targeting
In response, Kudrytsky stated that the embezzlement charges against him are part of a political campaign against him, aimed primarily at silencing opponents and critical voices.
The former director of the electricity company affirmed that "these accusations are purely political in nature, and would not have occurred without intervention from the office of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy." He added: "Perhaps they just wanted to silence me, and to show what would happen to others if they spoke up on sensitive issues."
Despite observers praising Kudrytsky's efforts in maintaining the operation of the electricity network amidst the ongoing Russian attacks that caused widespread outages, he was forced to resign in 2024 after disagreements with the Ministry of Energy and the President's office, a step that stirred concern from the European Union.
The dismissal and arrest of Kudrytsky caused public outrage in Ukraine, as prominent Ukrainian research centers issued a joint statement calling on the authorities to ensure "integrity, objectivity, and political neutrality" in the case.
These developments come a few months after President Zelenskyy faced unprecedented protests during the war over legislation seen as undermining the independence of anti-corruption bodies.
