A massive corruption scheme uncovered at Ukraine’s state-owned nuclear company Energoatom has exposed how contractors were forced to pay kickbacks of up to 15 percent to win contracts, draining at least $100 million from the war-stressed economy. More than 1,000 hours of wiretapped conversations revealed coded language and repeated references to a mysterious high-level protector known only as “Ali Baba,” fueling speculation about who ultimately shielded the operation. Coming as Russian attacks leave millions without electricity, the scandal has struck a raw nerve with war-weary Ukrainians.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy moved quickly to contain the damage, dismissing the energy and justice ministers and imposing sanctions on several individuals close to his inner circle, including Tymur Mindich, co-owner of Zelenskyy’s former production company Kvartal 95. Parliament approved the sackings, but both opposition leaders and members of Zelenskyy’s own Servant of the People party immediately declared the response inadequate, insisting the rot goes much deeper into the presidential office.

Although neither Zelenskyy nor his chief of staff Andrii Yermak has been formally accused of wrongdoing, critics across the political spectrum argue that a scheme of this scale could not have flourished without the awareness or protection of Yermak, widely seen as Ukraine’s de facto second-most powerful figure. Lawmakers warn that refusing to remove him now risks collapsing the governing majority and undermining credibility with Western partners whose billions in aid remain essential to survival.

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Yermak, who has controlled access to the president and overseen every major appointment and foreign trip since 2020, has offered no public comment on the mounting calls for his resignation. Reports that he recently sought—but was denied—a meeting with Valerii Zaluzhnyi, the popular former military commander now serving as ambassador in London, highlight his growing isolation even among once-loyal circles.

With roughly thirty deputies from Zelenskyy’s own faction now openly pushing for a new “coalition of national stability” free of backroom influence, pressure on the president to sacrifice his longtime gatekeeper has reached unprecedented levels. Failure to act, many warn, could trigger the gravest political crisis Kyiv has faced since Russia’s 2022 invasion.

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