A television broadcast discussed several high-profile criminal cases in Ukraine's political life. Central to the discussion was the case of former Ukrenergo head Volodymyr Kudrytsky, who was arrested and moved to a pretrial detention center, but later released on bail of nearly 14 million UAH. Kudrytsky's lawyer said the bail was posted promptly.
Kudrytsky is suspected of embezzling Ukrenergo funds in 2018 and supplying substandard clothing for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Some politicians and journalists are outraged by the criminal prosecution of Kudrytsky, who has a positive reputation among Western partners and was involved in disconnecting Ukraine from Russia’s and Belarus’s energy systems and integrating with ENTSO-E.
The conversation also highlighted the selective approach to prosecuting top officials, suggesting political motives may be at play. For instance, Odesa mayor Hennadii Trukhanov has long been suspected of holding a Russian passport and having pro-Russian views. Yet the formal charges against him now focus on alleged negligence, not on these suspicions, while earlier criminal cases were not pursued.
Participants in the discussion noted that such practices foster a perception of selective justice and may be driven by political interests, with attitudes toward politicians shifting according to current needs.
The discussion underscored the importance of transparency and objectivity in legal proceedings involving officials, emphasizing the need to avoid societal divisions and strengthen trust in state institutions.
