Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) confiscated the phone of Naftogaz security chief Vitalii Brovko near the company’s office, although the search is not related to any of the energy giant’s operations, two sources close to the matter told Kyiv Post.
The search was first reported by Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko, who wrote that it was being conducted at the Naftogaz office.
Both NABU and Naftogaz later refuted the statement, saying that the search was not related to Naftogaz’s operations.
The investigative actions caused concerns among Ukraine’s Western partners, making them question Naftogaz about what had happened, one of the sources, who asked to remain anonymous due to sensitivity concerns, told Kyiv Post.
Since the case has no link to Naftogaz, a government-affiliated source told Kyiv Post that Honcharenko’s attempt to tie the search to the company could hurt Ukraine’s preparations for the heating season.
NABU seizes phone of Naftogaz security chief in search near Kyiv offices
NABU on Wednesday conducted a search targeting Brovko, the recently appointed security director of state-owned energy group Naftogaz.
According to NABU, the investigative action was carried out under the supervision of the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) and in accordance with a court order.
No one was detained, and no suspicions were issued, NABU wrote in its statement. The bureau said the case “does not concern Naftogaz’s activities.”
A person familiar with the matter confirmed to Kyiv Post that the search “concerns the individual, not Naftogaz’s activities,” adding that investigators had focused on seizing Brovko’s phone.
But for reasons unknown to the source, the NABU detectives conducted the search in Brovko’s car close to the Naftogaz office.
The first news about the incident appeared in a Telegram blog from Honcharenko. The post came before NABU and Naftogaz had issued any official statements on the matter.
“NABU is conducting searches at Naftogaz right now. In particular, the Security Director, Vitalii Brovko. His phone has already been seized,” he wrote in his post.
Later in the day, an official Naftogaz statement said no searches were carried out at any of its offices. The company said it “fully cooperates with anti-corruption and law-enforcement agencies and would take immediate measures should any violations by employees be identified.”
Although Honcharenko’s initial statement tied the search to Naftogaz premises, the government-affiliated source told Kyiv Post that while it was connected to previous activity by Brovko it is unclear whether a violation of any law took place.
But the investigator’s actions sparked concern among Ukraine’s international financial partners aiding Ukraine to help Naftogaz purchase gas for the heating season, as Russia’s devastating attacks slashed half of production and jeopardized normal heating during the 2025-2026 heating season.
“During the discussion, participants raised concerns about media reports of alleged searches at Naftogaz – reports circulated by Oleksiy Honcharenko that ultimately proved false. This situation clearly illustrates how populist claims can directly undermine efforts to secure vital support for Ukraine ahead of the heating season,” the source told Kyiv Post.
“The new management team at Naftogaz is focused on real reforms and is already delivering results. Attempts by some politicians to drag the company into unrelated issues are pure political noise. Such statements undermine the country’s efforts to secure financing and gas imports ahead of the most challenging heating season in Ukraine’s history”, the government-affiliated source said.
On Wednesday morning, as Brovko was driving to work and parking the car close to the office, people in civilian clothes started banging on the car’s doors, the source said.
“Brovko did not understand what was happening and drove forward, crashing into a van. The doors opened and people wearing NABU chevrons stepped out. Realizing it was NABU, Brovko did not obstruct the investigators’ actions,” the source told Kyiv Post.
Brovko was appointed Security Director at Naftogaz at the end of August 2025. Prior to that, he served as the head of the department overseeing compliance with the law by the State Bureau of Investigation within the Prosecutor General’s Office.
“NABU should do its work and clarify the situation – it’s up to the investigators to sort out the facts. The problem is that political statements can amplify such cases in a way that damages the company’s reputation and complicates efforts to secure financing for Ukraine’s energy needs,” the source told Kyiv Post.
Search comes amid Mindich tape scandal and Russian strikes on energy sector
The news appeared as Ukraine has been shaken by the scandal that originated from investigations by Ukraine’s anti-graft agencies, in which a former business associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky, Timur Mindich, was said to have been coercing multiple officials into corrupt dealings.
The case’s profile is heightened by Moscow’s renewed strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid.
Ukraine’s state-owned company Naftogaz, at the same time, is racing to secure winter gas supplies amidst destruction of gas infrastructure. Naftogaz was not mentioned in any way in the Mindich tapes in any context tied to potential corruption.
Naftogaz Group’s infrastructure, which includes both gas extraction and transmission, has suffered heavily in Russia’s air strikes.
A new wave of Russia’s strikes on Ukraine’s gas production started in January 2025 – the destruction was severe enough to impact the dip in gas production by almost 60% and cause a decline in Ukraine’s real GDP.
Ukraine now needs around €2 billion ($2.3 billion) to cover additional gas imports for the 2025-2026 heating season, which it will finance through a combination of domestic reserves and international support, Prime Minister Yuliya Svyrydenko said during a government Q&A session last month, as per Ukrinform.
Previously, Ukraine could have maintained the heating season with its own gas production. Now, it needs to import 4.4 billion cubic meters of gas for the 2025-2026 winter, with almost 70% of these supplies being financially covered by the current Naftogaz team.
Naftogaz has been securing financial support from Ukrainian banks, including Ukreximbank, Ukrgasbank, and PrivatBank, to prepare for the heating season.
The company is also working with international partners: in August, Norway pledged nearly $100 million to help import natural gas, while cooperation with Poland’s ORLEN focuses on strengthening supply and storage capacity to bolster Ukraine’s energy resilience.
Naftogaz Group and Greek state-owned company DEPA Commercial recently signed a letter of intent to supply US gas to Ukraine for the winter period 2025-2026.
The agreement will enable Ukraine to receive US liquefied natural gas (LNG) routed through Greece for the first time in history.