Ukraine's anti-corruption court lifts electronic bracelet requirement on former energy minister Halushchenko
On 22 October 2026, the High Anti-Corruption Court (VAKS) declined to extend the obligation for former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, but extended by two months several other procedural obligations imposed on him in the "Midas" corruption case. Halushchenko must continue to surrender his travel documents, not leave Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast without permission, refrain from contact with specified persons, and appear before investigators and the court on request. The full reasoning will be available in the Unified State Register of Court Decisions.
Key points
- On 22 October 2026, VAKS refused to extend Halushchenko's electronic bracelet obligation.
- VAKS extended by two months the other procedural obligations imposed on Halushchenko.
- Halushchenko must surrender all passports and travel documents to the State Migration Service.
- Halushchenko is barred from leaving Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast without NABU or SAPO permission.
- He was detained on 15 February 2026 while trying to cross the state border, the day before being served with suspicion in the "Midas" case on 16 February 2026.
- NABU suspects him of money laundering and participation in a criminal organization (Part 2 of Article 255, Part 3 of Article 209 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
- The court's reasoning will be set out in the full ruling, to be published in the Unified State Register of Court Decisions (ЄДРСР).
Why it matters
The ruling adjusts the monitoring regime on a former senior cabinet member in one of Ukraine's highest-profile anti-corruption cases, while leaving the core travel and contact restrictions in place. The "Midas" investigation has become a touchstone for how Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions handle alleged large-scale corruption in the energy sector.
What happened
On 22 October 2026, the High Anti-Corruption Court partially granted a motion by a Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) prosecutor in the "Midas" case, extending by two months the procedural obligations imposed on former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko. The court declined, however, to extend his obligation to wear an electronic monitoring device, effectively ending that measure. The renewed obligations require Halushchenko to surrender all passports and other travel documents to the State Migration Service of Ukraine, not leave Kyiv and Kyiv Oblast without permission from NABU detectives or SAPO prosecutors, inform investigators of any change of residence, refrain from communicating with specified persons involved in the case, and appear before NABU detectives, SAPO prosecutors, the investigating judge, or the court on every request. The court's reasoning will be set out in the full text of the ruling, to be made available in the Unified State Register of Court Decisions.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian outlets centred the ruling on its specific procedural consequences: the end of the electronic bracelet, the two-month extension of the remaining obligations, and the continuing restrictions on Halushchenko's movements, documents and contacts. The same coverage carried extensive context on the "Midas" investigation, including the February 2026 detention at the border, the bail proceedings and the alleged financial flows traced to Halushchenko's family.
Background
Halushchenko served as Ukraine's Minister of Energy from 2021 until July 2025. On 15 February 2026, NABU detectives detained him while he was attempting to cross Ukraine's state border; the following day, 16 February 2026, NABU and SAPO notified him of suspicion in the "Midas" case. On 17 February 2026, VAKS imposed detention as a preventive measure with an alternative bail of 200 million hryvnias, which was later reduced to 150 million and fully posted on 29 June 2026. According to the investigation, Energoatom counterparties were allegedly forced to pay kickbacks to avoid blocked payments or loss of supplier status.