KIEV—Volodymyr Kudrytsky, the CEO of Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s national electricity grid operator, announced his dismissal from the position on Tuesday, amid accusations of political interference. The announcement comes during a time when Ukraine’s power grid faces severe challenges due to ongoing Russian military actions.
According to the Burkina Information Agency, the Ukrenergo Supervisory Board held a special meeting where they decided to terminate his tenure, which had started in 2020. Two members of the supervisory board, Daniel Dobbeni and Peder Andreasen, stated the dismissal was by mutual consent. However, they also tendered their resignations, criticizing the decision as premature, without reasonable grounds, and politically motivated. Ukrainian media suggest the official reason for Kudrytsky’s dismissal was his alleged failure to protect critical infrastructure from Russian attacks—a claim he has denied, pointing to his efforts in constructing shelters at key locations to safeguard the grid.
The change in leadership follows a similar dismissal of another key figure in Ukraine’s electricity sector, Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov, in June. Ukrenergo has received significant international support, with over 1.5 billion euros in aid aimed at restoring and protecting its infrastructure since the onset of the Russian invasion.
Dobbeni and Andreasen highlighted that they had faced political pressures since the beginning of their tenure, specifically regarding questionable appointments to the board of directors. The European Union has also voiced concerns, cautioning that such upheavals could compromise Western support for Ukraine’s energy security.
Kudrytsky expressed hopes that his successor would be chosen transparently, stressing the importance of maintaining the trust he had established with European partners. Sviatoslav Pavliouk, head of the Association of Energy-Efficient Ukrainian Cities, emphasized on Facebook that this trust was one of Ukrenergo’s key assets under Kudrytsky’s leadership.