Government appoints acting Energy Minister Nekrasov
Following the dismissal of Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk by the Verkhovna Rada amid a corruption scandal in the energy sector, the Cabinet of Ministers has entrusted First Deputy Minister Artem Nekrasov with the minister's duties. The Ministry of Energy has announced this, the Ukrainian News agency reports.
"The duties of the Minister of Energy of Ukraine have been assigned to First Deputy Minister Artem Nekrasov," the statement said.
Nekrasov noted that he realizes the weight of responsibility to the country and the industry.
"We have entered the active phase of the most difficult heating season in the history of Ukraine. Therefore, the urgent tasks include stable operation of the energy system, transparency of processes, restoration of trust and effective cooperation with international partners, attraction of resources for repairs and restoration of damaged energy facilities. I will make every effort to cope with these challenges while the Government and the Verkhovna Rada decide on the candidacy of the new head of the Ministry," Nekrasov said.
Nekrasov has been First Deputy Minister of Energy since August.
Since November 2021, he has held the positions of Deputy Director for General Affairs, First Deputy Director, and since December 2022 he has been acting as the Director of the Guaranteed Buyer State Enterprise.
During 2020-2021, he was an advisor to the Director of Kalush Teploelektrotsentral-Nova, and later - an advisor to the President of SE NNEGC Energoatom.
Since 2017, he has held senior positions at Kharkivoblenergo: Deputy Director for Asset Protection and Economic Security, Director of Kharkivenerhozbut, and Commercial Director of Kharkivoblenergo.
Nekrasov was born in 1979 in Kharkiv and has three degrees, including in the energy sector.
In 2001, he graduated from the National University of Internal Affairs with a degree in Law and Information Systems in Management, and also received a specialist degree in Electric Power Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Electromechanics from the Zaporizhzhia National Technical University.
He started his career in the internal affairs bodies of Sumy, then worked as an assistant lawyer, legal counsel of the legal department of Sumyoblenergo, head of the legal department of SE GTRPC Zorya-Mashproekt, and advisor to the CEO of Zaporizhzhiaoblenergo.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, on November 19, the Verkhovna Rada dismissed Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk amid a corruption scandal in the energy sector. Hrynchuk, 40, had been serving as Energy Minister in Yuliia Svyrydenko's government since July 17.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said amid a corruption scandal in the energy sector that the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Energy should be dismissed and asked the Prime Minister to submit their resignations immediately
After that, on November 12, Svyrydenko submitted a motion to the Rada to dismiss Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko (in the government of Denys Shmyhal in April 2021-July 2025, he served as Minister of Energy) and Minister of Energy Svitlana Hrynchuk.