‘They Grabbed my Phone and Ran’: Ukrenergo CEO Denounces ‘Absurd’ Raids

Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, former CEO of the state-owned power grid operator Ukrenergo, issued a response to Tuesday’s raids of his home and car, calling the searches “absurd” and accusing law enforcement officials of having a “political rather than legal motive.”

On Oct. 21, Ukraine’s State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) raided Kudrytskyi’s home as part of a probe into alleged abuse of office and embezzlement of company funds.

Ukrainska Pravda reported that the probe centers on allegations that Kudrytskyi exaggerated how much forest was cleared and overstated contractor expenses on several power transmission projects.

Ukraine’s law enforcement has opened multiple criminal cases connected to Kudrytskyi’s tenure at Ukrenergo.

Investigators first stopped Kudrytskyiʼs car near his home early in the morning, he wrote in an account of the incident posted to Facebook. The car was searched without a court warrant under the pretext of “urgency,” even though the case “had been open for quite some time,” he said.

“After I showed my Reserve+ status on my phone [the mobile app Ukrainians use to display their military mobilisation or reservist status] an unknown man in uniform grabbed the phone from my hand and ran away,” Kudrytskyi wrote. “Moments later, SBI officers approached and announced an ‘urgent search.’”

The phone was recovered by investigators, and officers later conducted a search of his apartment with a court order, Kudrytskyi said.

“Luckily, no devices went missing during this search,” he quipped.

Kudrytskyi said he was not formally accused of anything and denied any link to illegal logging or inflated contracts mentioned in the case. “Even if I tried, I couldn’t find how I’m related to forest clearing,” he said. “There was nothing about it in the documents they showed me.”

Kudrytskyi also pointed to Ukrenergo’s financial record. “The company’s procurement prices remain several times lower than those of other energy firms,” he said. “That shows the management system built in recent years still prevents interference, and donors continue to trust the company.”

“The incident highlights the need to reform Ukraine’s law enforcement and courts,” Kudrytskyi said. “Even with independent bodies like NABU (Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau), SAPO (the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office), and now the Bureau of Economic Security, Ukraine still needs to reform the rest.”

What is Ukrnegro and who is Volodymyr Kudrytskyi? 

Ukrenergo is a state-owned electricity transmission system operator overseen by Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy. The company plays a critical role in maintaining the balance between Ukraine’s electricity generation and consumption.

Appointed as CEO in 2020, Kudrytskyi oversaw a period of corporate governance reform that included the creation of a supervisory board.

However, Kudrytskyi allegedly became a target of political rivalry with then-Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, which some say may have contributed to his dismissal on Aug. 30, 2024.

The official reason for Kudrytskyi’s removal was his alleged failure to complete defensive constructions around high-voltage grid facilities – an omission that purportedly led to power supply disruptions following Russian missile strikes on Aug. 26.

However, supervisory board members Daniel Dobbeni and Peder Andreasen disputed the official explanation. In their resignation statement, they asserted that Kudrytskyi’s dismissal was primarily political rather than performance-related.

Leadership turmoil at Ukrenergo

Tensions within Ukrenergo persisted after Kudrytskyi’s departure.

On Sept. 5, the supervisory board appointed Oleksii Brekht as acting chairman, though the announcement was only made public on Sept. 13. Brekht led the company from September 2024 to June 2025, earning credit for maintaining grid stability through a challenging winter season amid continued Russian attacks.

A competition for the position of Chairman of the Management Board was announced on Feb. 5, 2025, and Vitaliy Zaychenko emerged as the winner.

However, in October, Ukrenergo abruptly removed Zaychenko and reinstated Brekht, following a Sept. 16 ruling by the National Securities and Stock Market Commission citing procedural violations in board appointments. The supervisory board said the decision reflected a loss of confidence in Zaychenko amid ongoing internal conflicts.

The situation later shifted once again. After consultations between the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Economy, and foreign members of Ukrenergo’s supervisory board, the Energy Ministry confirmed that Vitaliy Zaychenko would remain as chairman.

The decision, endorsed by the supervisory board, aligned with the positions of the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission, the National Securities and Stock Market Commission, and the Kyiv Commercial Court, which had previously suspended the registration of Zaychenko’s dismissal.

Original Post