Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s nearly six years as President of Ukraine have not been free from corruption scandals; however, the current case, involving $100 million, is unarguably one of the biggest in recent years.
On Monday, various news sources disclosed that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) together with the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) are investigating senior officials at Ukraine’s state-controlled energy enterprises—including nuclear operator Energoatom—in a case linked to Zelenskyy’s close confidant, businessman Timur Mindich. The inquiry, spanning 15 months, suggests that several key figures sought to misappropriate approximately $100 million from the country’s energy industry amid wartime conditions.
These searches occurred shortly after Russia launched its most significant assault targeting Ukraine’s energy network, hitting nuclear facilities and power substations, severely affecting the electricity capabilities of operator Сentrеgenergo. The escalating Russian bombardments on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure are causing widespread power outages, threatening millions with electricity and heating shortages as winter approaches. Kyiv has stated it invested tens of millions of euros to shield energy systems from drone and missile attacks.
Reports now indicate that some of these resources might never have been utilized to bolster defenses. According to POLITICO Brussels, those implicated are accused of fraudulently amending contracts at Energoatom to receive kickbacks of 10 to 15 percent of contract amounts. Investigators reveal that the group funneled close to $100 million through a covert Kyiv-based office. Authorities confirm that five of seven suspects involved have been arrested.
Who Are They?
Recently, details about the accused individuals have come to light. The most prominent is Timur Mindich, co-owner of Zelenskyy’s Kvartal 95 film company. NABU identifies Mindich as the mastermind behind the scheme. Since Zelenskyy assumed office in 2019, this 46-year-old entrepreneur has expanded interests across multiple sectors. Notably, Mindich previously partnered with oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, the primary financier of Zelenskyy’s successful presidential bid; Mindich even introduced Kolomoisky to Zelenskyy when the latter aspired to the presidency. Their relationship has since soured, with Kolomoisky imprisoned in Kyiv awaiting trial on charges of embezzlement and fraud after his 2023 arrest. Ukrainian media report that Mindich fled to Israel after receiving alerts of impending charges in the energy scandal.
Justice Minister German Galushchenko is the highest-ranking official named, who, along with Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk, submitted their resignations following the revelations.
‘Mindich was a former business partner of Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, the main funder of Zelenskyy’s successful presidential campaign’
Another key individual is former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, a close Zelenskyy associate. NABU identified him in wiretap evidence under the codename ‘Che Guevara’, charging him with illicit enrichment involving approximately $1.2 million and nearly EUR 100,000 linked to the laundering network.
Also implicated is Ihor Myroniuk, ex-adviser to Galushchenko and former deputy chief of the State Property Fund. His lawyer denies all allegations of illegal enrichment and participation in a criminal group.
Dmytro Basov, who headed Energoatom’s security department and was known as ‘Tenor’ in the intercepted recordings, is another suspect.
On Wednesday, Zelenskyy declared his backing for all probes undertaken by law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies. He emphasized on X that “There must be maximum integrity in the energy sector.” He further condemned the idea that corruption could persist amid the ongoing blackouts and outages, calling it “absolutely unacceptable.” He also announced plans to issue sanctions against two individuals named in the NABU investigation regarding Energoatom.
What Does the EU Say?
Earlier, Zelenskyy sought to influence the operations of NABU and SAP. On 21 July, Ukrainian officials raided NABU’s main office under allegations of Russian espionage, detaining the head of its Dnipro branch and conducting searches on at least 15 agents, some connected to unrelated traffic matters. Merely a day later, Zelenskyy approved legislation placing NABU and SAPO under the Prosecutor General—a presidential appointee—thereby vastly expanding presidential oversight on corruption investigations.
Although this move was ultimately abandoned following objections from the European Union, the recent scandal has been widely cited by critics as evidence that the law and the raid were attempts to disrupt investigations into the energy corruption case and shield Zelenskyy’s associates.
Responding to the controversy, a European Commission representative noted that exposing the suspected kickback ring shows Ukraine’s anti-corruption framework is functioning as the nation works toward EU accession criteria. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also emphasized on Thursday that “the German government’s expectation is that Ukraine press ahead energetically with fighting corruption and further reforms, particularly in the area of the rule of law.”
The scandal emerged shortly after the European Commission published its enlargement report on Ukraine, urging member states to approve Kyiv’s EU entry process. EU affairs ministers are scheduled to convene in December in Lviv, western Ukraine, to deliberate. Zelenskyy’s government aims to finalize accession talks by late 2028; nevertheless, Hungary currently obstructs the process initiation.
Original article: www.hungarianconservative.com
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