Berlin is increasing its financial support to Ukraine's energy system with an additional €40 million – while a major bribery scandal rocks the country's state-owned energy company.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul announced on Tuesday that Berlin is allocating €40 million to help Ukraine meet its winter energy needs.

The purpose, he says, is to ensure that Ukrainian households and industries can continue to function despite the strains of war.

– Germany is helping Ukrainians survive another winter of war with an additional €40 million, Wadephul said in a statement, while noting that Germany has already spent around €9 billion in military support to Kiev this year.

Investigation into bribes at state nuclear power company

The announcement coincides with Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) launching a comprehensive investigation into what is described as a high-level criminal organization.

The organization is suspected of earning large sums through bribes and illegal contracts with the state-owned nuclear power company Energoatom.

So far, seven people have been charged, and according to Ukrainian media, businessman Timur Mindich is identified as one of the main suspects.

Mindich, who has close ties to President Volodymyr Zelensky and was previously his business partner, allegedly left the country shortly before his residence was searched by investigators.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov claims that Western aid to Ukraine has largely been "stolen" due to widespread corruption.

Former American National Security Advisor Michael Waltz has similarly described Ukraine as "...one of the most corrupt countries in the world".

Corruption continues - support likewise

Corruption has long been a pervasive problem in Ukraine. A survey by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) showed in September that 71 percent of the population feels that corruption has increased since the conflict with Russia escalated in 2022.

Ukraine has implemented anti-corruption reforms since 2014 - including creating new institutions such as the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption (NACP).

Despite the reforms, corruption remains a widespread problem in the country, particularly in certain sectors such as the energy sector. There is criticism that Western support risks ending up in corrupt structures.

Transparency International's latest corruption index places Ukraine at 105th out of 180 countries – better than Russia (154th), but far from EU levels. Despite this, Western countries continue to pour support into Kiev.

Germany's decision to increase its contributions thus raises questions about how the aid will be monitored and how effectively it is actually being used in a country still struggling with systemic corruption.