Figure in the “Mindich tapes” Yuliya Pidkomorna received an executive position at a strategic state enterprise

Figure in the “Mindich tapes” Yuliya Pidkomorna received an executive position at a strategic state enterprise

Former deputy minister of energy to Herman Halushchenko and figure in the “Mindich tapes” Yuliya Pidkomorna became acting member of the management board of JSC "Ukrainian Distribution Networks."

This decision was made by the company’s Supervisory Board.

Five people in total joined the Management Board. Besides Pidkomorna, they are Oleksii Belotskyi, Oleksandr Baraniuk, Mykhailo Horyn, and Denys Fudashkin.

Yuliya Pidkomorna at various times worked in the Cabinet of Ministers, Energoatom, Ukrgazvydobuvannia, and also held the position of deputy to former energy minister Herman Halushchenko.

In November last year, during a court session in the so-called “Mindichgate” case, the prosecutor read a fragment of the tapes in which Pidkomorna’s surname is mentioned in the context of appointments to government positions.

“It’s about Pidkomorna. Myroniuk (Ihor Myroniuk, nickname ‘Rocket’) says: ‘Pidkomorna. Where did she come from for us? Didenko brought her (likely referring to former Naftogaz top manager Ihor Didenko), he appointed her to ‘Atom’ (Energoatom), and then took her to the ministry (Ministry of Energy).’”},{

“I tell him (likely the minister): ‘Listen, how is that?’ And he: ‘Well, she’s mine now’ (likely Halushchenko’s reply). If you said, or ‘Karlson’ (Tymur Mindich) said: ‘She is mine now.’ I roughly understand how a person becomes ‘someone’s,’” the SAP prosecutor read.

In addition, Pidkomorna chaired the Competition Commission for selecting members of the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities (NKREKP). In that role, it is alleged she could have promoted “desired” candidates in Halushchenko’s interests by lowering scores for other applicants. A clip of the commission meeting that supports this is available at the link.

JSC "Ukrainian Distribution Networks" owns state share packages in seven electricity distribution operators (oblenergos): Khmelnytskyioblenergo, Mykolaivoblenergo, Zaporizhiaoblenergo, Ternopiloblenergo, Cherkasyoblenergo, Kharkivoblenergo, and Sumyoblenergo.

The company is of strategic importance for the security and stability of Ukraine’s power system because it provides centralized management of critical infrastructure.