Former Head of Energoatom Receives Multi-Million Payout Upon Dismissal

Payouts and Dismissal of Petro Kotin

According to Главком: Upon his dismissal on August 21, 2025, Petro Kotin, the former acting chairman of the board of the National Atomic Energy Company (Energoatom), received substantial termination payments. These included a severance package of 4.6 million hryvnias and 200,000 hryvnias for health and wellness benefits. This comes on top of a salary of 25 million hryvnias paid to him between 2023 and 2025, all without a formal, clearly defined employment contract. This case highlights ongoing concerns about governance in Ukraine's state-owned enterprises, especially in the critical energy sector.

Career and Corruption Scandal Links

Petro Kotin began his career at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the late 1980s. He rose through the ranks, becoming director of the engineering and technical department at Energoatom's directorate in the early 2000s and was appointed chairman of the company in April 2020. During 2022-2024, he received an additional 1.1 million hryvnias in bonuses without the required approval of a financial plan, further underscoring the lack of contractual clarity.

Kotin's name has also surfaced in connection with a major corruption scandal known as Mindichgate. In wiretapped conversations released by Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), his surname is mentioned alongside discussions about his potential removal from office. A key conversation on July 9, 2025, involved two figures in the case: 'Rocket,' former advisor to the energy minister Ihor Myroniuk, and 'Tenor,' Energoatom's executive director for physical protection and security Dmytro Basov, who debated Kotin's fate.

“So, what should we do about this Kotin anyway?”

Tenor

“I don't know. I think Kotin should be replaced.”

Rocket

The circumstances of Petro Kotin's dismissal and the significant payments involved raise serious questions about transparency and management practices at state-owned companies. The absence of a clear contract and the discussion of his position within a corruption scandal point to potential systemic governance issues at Energoatom. This incident is likely to prompt further investigation and could damage the company's reputation with both the public and international partners.