Volodymyr Kudrytskyi, former head of Ukraine’s state-owned power company Ukrenergo, was abruptly forced to resign in 2024 despite successfully keeping the country’s power grid operational during nearly four years of Russian attacks.

Last week, he was arraigned on embezzlement charges related to a seven-year-old infrastructure contract that was never completed, with no evidence he personally benefited.

Critics—including opposition lawmakers and anti-corruption activists—say the prosecution is politically motivated, part of a pattern of “lawfare” used by President Zelenskyy to intimidate critics and potential rivals ahead of a possible election, Politico has reported.

The case comes at a critical time as Ukraine faces intensified Russian strikes on its energy infrastructure, raising fears that political scapegoating could distract from the country’s urgent energy challenges this winter.