Ukrainian authorities have taken decisive action in their ongoing anti-corruption efforts after a former energy minister was detained while attempting to leave the country.

Investigators from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine confirmed on Sunday that the former minister was intercepted while crossing the state border as part of the sweeping “Midas” investigation into alleged financial misconduct in the energy sector.

Although officials did not formally name him, prominent Ukrainian media identified the detainee as German Galushchenko, who left government last November following allegations tied to a reported $100m (£75m) embezzlement scheme.

The case represents a significant step in Ukraine’s commitment to transparency under President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose administration rose to power pledging to confront corruption even amid the pressures of Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The investigation has also touched senior figures, including former chief-of-staff Andriy Yermak, who resigned after his residence was searched. Importantly, neither Zelensky nor Yermak has been accused of wrongdoing.

Authorities say the Midas operation follows 15 months of detailed work by anti-corruption bodies, including cooperation with the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. The probe focuses on suspected irregularities involving Ukraine’s state nuclear operator Energoatom.

Investigators allege that individuals linked to the scheme may have received kickbacks ranging from 10% to 15% of contract values from contractors. According to officials, funds were then laundered and transferred abroad.

Reports from Radio Free Europe indicate that the former minister is being transported to Kyiv for further questioning after border authorities were instructed to notify investigators if he attempted to depart the country.

The probe has already resulted in arrests, including former deputy prime minister Oleksiy Chernyshov on suspicion of illicit enrichment. Meanwhile, businessman Timur Mindich — associated with Zelensky’s former television production company Kvartal 95 — reportedly left Ukraine after being named as a suspect.

Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the developments signal continued institutional resolve to safeguard public resources — particularly vital as Ukraine works to maintain energy resilience during sustained attacks on infrastructure.

Eleven Palestinians were killed in Israeli strikes on Gaza on Sunday morning, according to local civil defence and health officials, underscoring the fragility of an already strained ceasefire.

The Israel Defense Forces said the strikes targeted militant positions in response to alleged ceasefire violations by Hamas. It stated that fighters were killed after emerging from a tunnel into an area of the strip under Israeli military control.

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that a strike on a tent encampment in northern Gaza killed at least six people, while another attack in the south left five dead.

Since the ceasefire came into force on 10 October, both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of near-daily breaches. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says at least 600 people have been killed during this period.

Earlier this month, local officials reported that at least 32 people died in a broader wave of Israeli air strikes across the territory.

The latest escalation comes as preparations continue for the second phase of a US-brokered ceasefire agreement.

Last month, US President Donald Trump announced the creation of a new body, the Board of Peace, which has been granted a mandate from the United Nations Security Council to establish an international force. The mission is intended to secure border areas in Gaza and oversee the disarmament of Hamas.

The board, scheduled to hold its first meeting in Washington on 19 February, is also tasked with supervising the formation of a technocratic Palestinian government and coordinating post-war reconstruction efforts.

As part of the next phase of the ceasefire plan, Indonesia — a member of the Board of Peace — has announced plans to deploy 8,000 troops to Gaza.

The conflict was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

Israel responded with a military campaign in Gaza that has since resulted in more than 71,820 deaths, according to the territory’s health ministry.

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu travelled to Washington last week for talks with Trump, with discussions focusing in part on efforts to curb Iran’s nuclear programme — which Tehran maintains is solely for civilian use.

Netanyahu was expected to urge the US administration to pursue an agreement aimed at halting Iran’s uranium enrichment and limiting its ballistic missile capabilities, as broader regional security concerns continue to shape diplomatic efforts alongside the ceasefire process.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has warned that the world is entering a defining new phase in global politics, as he arrived in Europe to lead the American delegation at the Munich Security Conference.

Speaking before delivering a major address at the gathering, Rubio described the moment as a turning point for international relations, saying shifting alliances and rising tensions were forcing nations to rethink their roles on the global stage.

“The world is changing very fast right in front of us,” he told reporters. “We live in a new era in geopolitics, and it’s going to require all of us to sort of re-examine what that looks like and what our role is going to be.”

The conference marks the first major global forum since President Donald Trump renewed calls for the US to annex Greenland — a move widely viewed in Europe as a direct challenge to Danish sovereignty and a strain on long-standing alliances.

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged Europe to prepare for greater strategic independence from Washington, while Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasised that transatlantic ties remain strong and essential despite growing tensions.

This year’s conference, which opened on Friday, is expected to focus heavily on the war in Ukraine, strategic rivalry with China and the prospect of a new nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz used his opening remarks to call for renewed cooperation between Europe and the US, appealing for both sides to “repair and revive transatlantic trust together”.

Merz also disclosed that confidential discussions were under way with Macron on the possibility of a joint European nuclear deterrent — a significant step for a continent where only France and the UK possess nuclear weapons, while many others traditionally rely on the US nuclear umbrella within Nato.

Around 50 world leaders are attending the conference, where the future of European defence and the transatlantic partnership is under close scrutiny amid questions about Washington’s long-term commitment to the alliance.

Tensions have been further heightened by Trump’s repeated assertions that Greenland is vital to US national security. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed she plans to meet Rubio to address the issue directly, as European leaders increasingly see the dispute as a watershed moment in relations with the United States.

In the lead-up to the summit, eight former US ambassadors to Nato and eight former American supreme commanders in Europe issued an open letter urging Washington to sustain its support for the alliance. They argued that Nato is “far from being a charity”, describing it instead as a strategic force multiplier that enhances US influence in ways that would otherwise be difficult or costly to achieve.