An energy facility destroyed by Russians (photo by DTEK)

The corruption scandal at Energoatom has not affected contributions to the Energy Support Fund of Ukraine, which was established and is managed by the Energy Community, a European international organization. This was stated by Predrag Grujičić, head of the gas division at the Energy Community Secretariat, during a press conference in Vienna in response to a question from LIGA.net.

According to Grujičić, European countries and the European Union decided to continue contributing to the fund despite the corruption scandal in Ukraine.

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"So regardless of the concerns that may exist, they believe and act in the right way: they support, continue to support Ukraine, and trust the system that the Secretariat has put in place — the system that underpins the Energy Support Fund of Ukraine," he said.

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European Energy Community – is an international organization established to extend European energy standards to partner countries and integrate their energy markets with the European market.

A European official also dismissed suspicions that the Ukrainian government may be misusing the assistance provided through the fund.

"We cannot disclose all details because the data is confidential, but I can assure you that we know where every transformer, switch, or any other piece of equipment we provide is located — even a crane," Grujičić said. "This is not only about modern procurement procedures, but also about a very robust system for monitoring and verifying how the equipment is used."

According to him, oversight is carried out independently by several parties, including the Energy Community itself, donors, external auditors, and Ukraine’s national regulator, the National Energy and Utilities Regulatory Commission (NEURC).

"In other words, we have a multi-level monitoring and verification system covering both delivery and use of the equipment. The system works, and it is convincing for EU member states and for the European Commission itself — otherwise, they would not be providing funding," Grujičić said.

  • The Energy Support Fund of Ukraine was established in April 2022 at the initiative of Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy and the European Commission. The fund coordinates international assistance for the repair and restoration of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, including the procurement of equipment and fuel, repair works, and technical support to keep the energy system operational during the war.
  • Since its creation, the fund has raised about €1.3 billion from more than 30 donors, including the European Union, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, Canada, the United States, as well as other governments and private-sector contributors.