Zelensky faces another key test
President Zelensky faces two big developing challenges which are somehow interlinked.
First, is the deteriorating situation on the frontline as the city of Pokrovsk, after a year long valiant defence, appears close to falling.
Second is the evolving corruption scandal at Energoatom where anti corruption investigators appear to have uncovered evidence sufficient to launch prosecutions against high ranking officials in the Zelensky administration, extending up to the minister of justice and former deputy prime minister. Even close friends/associates of Zelensky are in the cross wires - raising questions for some as to what Zelensky knew and, if he did not why not?
The link is obvious as the Energoatom affair is a PR/political catastrophe for Zelensky as while brave Ukrainian troops are putting their lives on the line on the frontline, the allegations are that members of his administration were lining their pockets to the tune of as much as $100 million if the sums are to be believed. The allegations are all the more galling, if true, as they suggest monies for building defences for energy infrastructure were pilfered, leaving those assets and Ukrainian citizens more exposed this winter to resulting energy shortfalls.
Could all this further weaken morale on the frontline - further depleting Ukraine’s defence and risking a more catastrophic defeat? Possibly - if Zelensky does not act quickly and with an iron fist against corruption. But whatever Zelensky does surely it will play to Ukraine’s enemies, and particularly Russia. Putin will assume that if he just continues his attacks further that morale of Ukraine’s defenders, and its Western financial backers, will lag, opening the way for his total victory, he will be less inclined to talk peace. The war will extend.
Zelensky needs to act fast here - suspensions of minsters fingered by these allegations appear insufficient at this stage. They should be fired/encouraged to resign. Zelensky needs to send a message of zero tolerance for corruption.
Some have argued to me that the allegations might all be a plot by Russia, and/or Zelensky’s opponents - revenge by Kolomoisky, perhaps, for his $3bn loss in the London courts over the Privatbank case.
That may well be the case but it seems at this stage the allegations are so significant, and coming after so much prior noise on high level graft, that Zelensky has no choice now but to come out with an uncompromising response. Actually this could be an opportunity for him to reset his presidency and to make something good from the likely defeat at Pokrovsk - to show to the population that the sacrifices being made are not in vein. That Zelensky is willing to take action to address the deep seated problems that the Energoatom case have highlighted - and others - and that perhaps the challenges on the frontline and at Pokrovsk particularly might be less arduous if corruption was better addressed.
Pokrovsk and Energoatom suggest that Zelensky cannot sit on the fence and kick the can but only very decisive action is now the only option. This is an opportunity for Zelensky to act and show the leadership that he has shown numerous times already in this war.
I remember when Z. Ran for prez, he ran on an anti-corruption platform. And his comedy show was very much about the corruption.
Yeah, Zelenskyy is an oligarch, both Russia and Ukraine have this problem (see https://streamfortyseven.substack.com/p/the-problem-in-ukraine-and-russia - "Ukraine and Belarus and Russia are ruled by the tsar/boyar system from the 16th Century. For those nations to survive and prosper, that system must be abolished ... and updated." from March 6 this year, and https://streamfortyseven.substack.com/p/its-complicated-zelenskyy-turns-out, talking about Kolomoyskyy's role in Zelenskyy's rise to power, from March 5, 2022).
As to Pokrovsk, or the pile of rubble that was Pokrovsk, I suggest you have a look at a map - https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-november-11-2025/ - should suffice, and look at what Ukraine has been doing to Russia's oil and energy infrastructure in its rear - see https://t.me/exilenova_plus - English translation available. Ukraine is using Patton's strategy - "hold them by the nose and kick them in the rear" - a consistent strategy to focus Russia's attention at a given point, while striking at their logistics - and that's been their consistent strategy throughout the war. Russia has focussed on the Donetsk front since summer of last year - and still doesn't have control of 25% of that oblast. In the meantime, Ukraine is able to consistently hit targets in Russia's rear - and deprive them of 40% of their refining capacity - and this is going up.