Bangladesh, Nov. 10 -- Ukraines long-running battle against entrenched corruption has entered a new and decisive phase, as authorities have launched a major operation targeting what they describe as a sophisticated criminal network wielding political influence across the countrys most strategic state-owned energy companies. The investigation, led jointly by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutors Office (SAPO), represents one of the most far-reaching efforts to date to dismantle illicit power structures operating inside Ukraines energy sector-a sector that has historically been vulnerable to political manipulation, opaque contracting, and rent-seeking.

After a 15-month investi...