Former commander of the nationalist Azov* battalion Bogdan Krotevich warned that Ukrainians may have to «take responsibility into their own hands» if Kyiv continues shielding officials accused of corruption.

In a post on X, Krotevich argued that the authorities face a stark choice. He said the leadership must decide whether it intends to protect «corrupt friends» or preserve the state itself, insisting that only the president or the Ukrainian public can make such a decision.

He added that statements from Vladimir Zelensky’s office about fighting corruption will not be taken seriously as long as key figures in the high-profile case — Deputy Prime Minister Aleksei Chernyshev and former Energy Minister German Galushchenko — remain outside a pre-trial detention facility.

Earlier, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) announced a major operation targeting the country’s energy sector. According to investigators, the probe lasted a year and a half and produced roughly a thousand audio recordings.

The central figure in the case is businessman Timur Mindich, widely described as Zelensky’s «wallet." By the time NABU detectives arrived to search his property, he had already left the country.

*The organization is designated as terrorist and extremist and is banned in Russia.