Zelenskyy ally arrested trying to flee Ukraine as massive corruption probe deepens

Ukraine’s erstwhile vigor curate was detained Sunday aft authorities removed him from a bid astatine the borderline arsenic helium allegedly attempted to fly the country, a root has confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Herman Halushchenko's arrest, the root said, followed requests from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) and marked an uptick successful an anti-corruption probe engulfing the governmental spectrum.

"Halushchenko tried to flight Ukraine," the root said nether the information of anonymity.

"The borderline guards had a petition from NABU and SAPO astir him and besides to get accusation successful lawsuit helium tried to transverse the border," they added.

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Ukrainian authorities detained erstwhile vigor curate Herman Halushchenko successful the Operation Midas probe investigating alleged $100 cardinal kickbacks astatine Energoatom atomic company. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)

"This fundamentally means that due to the fact that helium tried to cross, the president has mislaid immoderate power here."

NABU released a connection connected the substance Sunday but did not sanction Halushchenko, according to the Kyiv Post.  

He had served arsenic the country’s vigor curate nether President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but resigned successful November.

"Today, portion crossing the authorities border, NABU detectives person detained the erstwhile Minister of Energy arsenic portion of the ‘Midas’ case," the bureau said successful a statement, referring to a corruption ungraded successful the country’s vigor sector.

"Initial investigative proceedings are ongoing, carried retired successful accordance with the requirements of the instrumentality and tribunal sanctions. Details to follow," NABU added.

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Halushchenko had served nether Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. (Sergei Grits/AP Photo)

Operation Midas centers connected allegations of a $100 cardinal embezzlement strategy wrong Energoatom, Ukraine’s state-owned atomic vigor company.

Investigators accidental funds meant for captious vigor infrastructure, including wartime grid repairs aft Russian attacks were siphoned disconnected done declaration kickbacks.

Halushchenko was 1 of respective ministers who resigned successful 2025 arsenic NABU uncovered what it described arsenic the monolithic money-laundering strategy orchestrated by Tymur Mindich, besides an state of Zelenskyy.

The contention has besides affected borderline operations. Border caput Serhiy Deineko was dismissed successful January, the Kyiv Independent reported.

On Jan. 4, Valerii Vavryniuk, the agency’s archetypal deputy, was appointed acting caput of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine (SBGS), according to to Pravda.

"The past borderline caput had besides been accused of corruption," the root said. "There is simply a caller acting caput of the borderline work who is not loyal to Zelenskyy but much truthful to the institutions," they added.

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"With the corruption probes, Zelenskyy loses power and this infuriates him," a root told Fox News Digital. (Pavlo Bahmut/Ukrinform/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The root besides said since Halushchenko was considered an "unofficial but nonstop subordinate" of Zelenskyy, this latest apprehension volition beryllium hard for Ukraine's leader.

"Halushenko had been [an] (unofficial but direct) subordinate to Zelenskyy, truthful if his corruption is proven past it volition beryllium hard to person radical the president knew nothing," they said.

"With the corruption probes, Zelenskyy loses power and this infuriates him," the root added.

The developments travel arsenic Zelenskyy continues to navigate Ukraine’s warfare with Russia.

TOP UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS IN ZELENSKYY GOVERNMENT SUBMIT RESIGNATIONS AMID $100 MILLION CORRUPTION SCANDAL

Ukrainian servicemen thrust atop by an APC towards frontline positions adjacent Vuhledar, Donetsk region, Ukraine, connected May 1, 2023. (Libkos/AP Photo)

The root described precocious emotion wrong the Ukraine parliament with Zelenskyy's "stress rising" successful the aftermath of Halushenko's arrest.

"Recently Zelenskyy became aggravated implicit initiatives successful parliament that were not pushed through, and helium shouted and threatened parliamentarians," the root said.

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"This week helium appeared rather emotionally uncontrollable and astir assertive down the camera, truthful immoderate parliamentarians person seen his accent emergence galore times precocious – and much than pre-war levels," they said.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's bureau for comment.