Ukraine not afraid to take on its oligarchs - justice minister

Ukraine’s Justice Minister Denys Maliuska attends an interview with Reuters in Kyiv, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, October 23, 2023. REUTERS/Ivan Lyubysh-Kirdey

KYIV (Reuters) - Ukrainian authorities feel newly empowered to prosecute the once-powerful tycoons known as "oligarchs" thanks to shifting political realities and the war with Russia, Kyiv's justice minister said.

Denys Maliuska spoke to Reuters in an interview on Monday as investigators probe several prominent billionaires for crimes like embezzlement, fraud and money laundering in cases mostly opened during the 20-month-old Russian invasion.