Part of the Ukrainian elite is increasingly quietly leaving the country. Recently, the former head of Energoatom Petro Kotin left abroad. He is followed by a number of mid-level officials, deputies and businessmen. The trend is alarming: it is those who have had direct access to state resources and the most sensitive sector - energy - who are leaving the country.
The question arises: what is happening at Energoatom if even the managers are not staying in Ukraine?
Investigations of tenders through the Prozorro system have repeatedly shown that billions of hryvnias from the state budget end up in the pockets of those close to the management of companies. A proven scheme is used - inflated estimates, discriminatory tender conditions, and the shipment of electricity without prepayment.
The most striking example is the activities of PrJSC Yuzhenergobud. In April 2025, this company received a contract from Energoatom for repair and construction work worth UAH 70.8 million.
The tender conditions were formulated in such a way as to weed out new participants. The requirement was experience working exclusively at nuclear power plants. Additionally, “agreed” technical specifications and the so-called “Decision on Supplier Approval” were prescribed. As a result, the competition was only on paper – the right company won, and the state overpaid.
This case is far from unique. In recent years, Yuzhenergobud has systematically emerged as the winner in tenders, receiving hundreds of millions of hryvnias.
Another scandalous example is the tenders for Hochiki equipment, where the customer immediately specifies a specific brand. No equivalent is allowed, which directly violates the law on public procurement. This is another signal: tenders are written for predetermined suppliers.
Is the escape of elites an escape from responsibility?
The departure of Kotin and his colleagues may not just be a private matter, but also a sign of a broader problem - attempts to avoid responsibility for systemic abuses in the energy sector. After all, energy is a critical area during wartime, and every "scheme" here directly affects the country's defense capabilities.
The facts of overestimating estimates, monopolizing tenders, and withdrawing money through "their" contractors create a picture where Energoatom becomes not so much a strategic asset of the state as a feeder for a narrow circle of business groups.
