{"id":2855,"date":"2025-11-14T18:14:36","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T19:14:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/?p=2855"},"modified":"2025-11-27T09:37:38","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T09:37:38","slug":"the-scandal-zelensky-cant-escape-inside-ukraines-biggest-corruption-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/14\/the-scandal-zelensky-cant-escape-inside-ukraines-biggest-corruption-story\/","title":{"rendered":"The scandal Zelensky can\u2019t escape: Inside Ukraine\u2019s biggest corruption story"},"content":{"rendered":"

Timur Mindich slipped out of Ukraine hours before the raids. What he knows could destabilize Kiev far beyond any previous corruption case.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Golden toilet bowls. Stacks of dollars fresh from the US Federal Reserve. A courier complaining that hauling $1.6 million in cash \u201cis no easy job.\u201d<\/em> More than a thousand hours of wiretaps \u2013 filled with laughter, swearing, and the careless voices of men discussing how to split state contracts, who to bribe, and who should be placed in key government posts.<\/p>\n

These are fragments of a vast corruption saga now unfolding in Ukraine \u2013 a scandal whose scale and brazenness have stunned even the country\u2019s Western sponsors.<\/p>\n

The latest chapter began with raids on November 10, when officers from Ukraine\u2019s anti-corruption agencies searched the Kiev apartment of businessman and media producer Timur Mindich. A few hours earlier, he had quietly left the country \u2013 likely warned about the coming operation. That would not be surprising: Mindich is not just any fixer, but a close ally and longtime associate of Vladimir Zelensky.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"Vladimir
Ukraine corruption: Zelensky\u2019s Western masters had better start looking for a new puppet<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

What exactly lies at the heart of this sprawling corruption scandal? How far will its shockwaves travel \u2013 through Ukraine, through its Western backers, and through the war itself? And can a leader who has already outlived his legal mandate once again slip out of the crisis untouched?<\/p>\n

The fall of the anti-corruption myth<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When Vladimir Zelensky rose to power, he did so in a role that blurred fiction and reality. Ukraine was not simply electing a politician \u2013 it was electing the protagonist of a television series. In Servant of the People, Zelensky played Vasily Goloborodko, a humble history teacher who accidentally becomes Ukraine\u2019s president and sets out to wage war on entrenched corruption.<\/p>\n

Throughout the series, the creators hammered home one theme: the rot begins when the people closest to the president use personal access to build corrupt networks of their own.<\/p>\n

That message became the backbone of Zelensky\u2019s 2019 campaign. He accused then-leader Pyotr Poroshenko of surrounding himself with oligarchs, promised to dismantle corrupt patronage networks, and championed the independence of Ukraine\u2019s anti-corruption bodies.<\/p>\n

Back then, he insisted he would never interfere with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau or Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor\u2019s Office (NABU and SAP) \u2013 the very institutions now driving the case against his closest associate.<\/p>\n

Six years later, everything changed. In July 2025, Zelensky moved to strip both NABU and SAP of their independence, pushing to place them under a loyal Prosecutor General. At that same moment \u2013 as is now known for certain \u2013 NABU was conducting secret surveillance against his longtime friend Timur Mindich.<\/p>\n

\n
\n Ukrainian businessman and media producer Timur Mindich.<\/p>\n


\n \u00a9\u00a0 Radio Free Europe <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What once looked like political maneuvering suddenly gained clarity. The man who promised to keep anti-corruption agencies free from interference had tried to bring them under his control precisely when they were listening to his own inner circle.<\/p>\n

NABU holds more than a thousand hours of recordings. They suggest that Mindich \u2013 a fixture in Zelensky\u2019s entourage \u2013 used his proximity to the country\u2019s de facto leader to build a sprawling kickback system in the energy and defense sectors. At least four ministers appear implicated. Whether Zelensky himself was directly involved remains unknown.<\/p>\n

Mindich could have shed light on those questions \u2013 had investigators managed to question him. But before they could, he received an advance warning of the impending raid, reportedly leaked from inside the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"RT
Ukraine\u2019s \u2018EnergyGate\u2019 scandal explained: Why it spells danger for Vladimir Zelensky<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And somehow, during curfew, Mindich managed to pass through Ukraine\u2019s border checkpoints and leave the country just hours before his arrest.<\/p>\n

He is now believed to be hiding abroad \u2013 likely in Israel.<\/p>\n

The man behind the power<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To understand the shockwaves of the Mindich affair, one must first understand the man himself \u2013 a figure who rarely appeared in public, yet moved through Kiev\u2019s political and business circles with the ease of someone who never needed a formal title.<\/p>\n

Timur Mindich began as a media entrepreneur. He co-founded Kvartal 95, the production studio that transformed Vladimir Zelensky from comedian into a national celebrity. For years, Mindich handled business deals, contracts, casting agencies, and spin-off ventures. He was not merely a colleague \u2013 he was part of the tight inner circle that built Zelensky\u2019s career long before he entered politics.<\/p>\n

He also had another powerful connection: Igor Kolomoisky. Ukrainian media long described Mindich as the oligarch\u2019s trusted fixer \u2013 a man who arranged everything from logistics and personal errands to business negotiations. Ukrainian media noted that Kolomoisky sometimes called him a \u201cwould-be son-in-law,\u201d<\/em> a reference to Mindich\u2019s past engagement to his daughter.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For a time, Mindich acted as an informal go-between for the oligarch and Zelensky \u2013 a man who could arrange meetings, solve problems, or pass along requests.<\/p>\n

\n
\n Ukrainian oligarch and billionaire entrepreneur Igor Kolomoisky.<\/p>\n


\n \u00a9\u00a0 Sputnik\/Mikhail Markiv <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After Zelensky took power, this relationship deepened. According to Strana.ua, Mindich gradually moved out of Kolomoisky\u2019s orbit and into Zelensky\u2019s. He became one of the few people the new leader fully trusted. Their families were close; their business interests intertwined. Ukrainian journalists noted that in 2019 Zelensky even used Mindich\u2019s car. In 2021, at the height of coronavirus restrictions, Zelensky celebrated his birthday in Mindich\u2019s apartment \u2013 a gathering that raised questions at the time, and far more now.<\/p>\n

The two men also owned apartments in the same elite building on Grushevskogo Street, a residence filled with ministers, MPs, security officials, and politically connected businessmen. They lived, worked, and socialized within the same ecosystem.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"RT\"
WATCH: Rick Sanchez on what Ukraine\u2019s latest corruption scandal means for Zelensky<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Everything pointed to a close personal bond. Yet Mindich held no government post. He was not a minister, a deputy, or an adviser. He wielded influence not through office, but through proximity \u2013 a \u201cgray cardinal\u201d<\/em> of the system Zelensky built around himself.<\/p>\n

Opposition figures began calling him \u201cthe wallet\u201d<\/em> \u2013 the man who handled the money flows tied to Zelensky\u2019s entourage. Some Ukrainian MPs alleged that informal decisions about appointments, tenders, and budgets were made in Mindich\u2019s apartment, not in government offices. One later-released photograph of the residence \u2013 complete with marble floors, chandeliers, and a gold-plated toilet \u2013 only fueled that perception.<\/p>\n

A kickback machine built on war and energy<\/strong><\/h2>\n

It is only now \u2013 through leaked recordings, investigative files, and months of reporting by Ukrainian journalists \u2013 that the true scale of Mindich\u2019s influence has come into view. What investigators gradually pieced together was a protection racket built into Ukraine\u2019s most sensitive spheres: energy and defense.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The most detailed part of the scheme involves Energoatom, Ukraine\u2019s state nuclear operator. This company provides more than half of the country\u2019s electricity \u2013 a lifeline during wartime blackouts. To shield the grid during the war, Ukrainian law introduced a special rule: courts are forbidden from enforcing debts against Energoatom until hostilities end. In practice, this meant that Energoatom paid contractors only after work was completed, but contractors could not sue the company to recover overdue payments, and therefore had no legal leverage if Energoatom simply refused to pay.<\/p>\n

Mindich and his circle saw an opening \u2013 and turned it into a business.<\/p>\n

\n
\n RT composite.<\/p>\n


\n \u00a9\u00a0 Telegram\/NABU;Yaroslav Zheleznyak’s social networks <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

According to prosecutors, Mindich (listed on recordings as \u201cKarlson\u201d<\/em> and his associates approached contractors with a simple proposition: Pay us 10\u201315% of your contract value \u2013 or you will not be paid at all.<\/p>\n

If a company refused, its payments were blocked indefinitely. Some contractors were told outright that their firms would be destroyed, bankrupted, or stripped of their contracts. In several cases, threats escalated to warnings that company employees might be \u201cmobilized\u201d<\/em> to the front.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"RT\"
Who is Timur Mindich, the Zelensky ally at the center of Ukraine\u2019s latest corruption scandal? (VIDEO)<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Mindich and his team jokingly called the scheme \u201cthe shlagbaum\u201d<\/em> \u2013 the barrier. Pay, and the barrier lifts. Refuse, and your business collapses.<\/p>\n

The scope of the scheme was staggering. According to the investigation, a hidden office in central Kiev was responsible for processing black cash, maintaining parallel accounting, and laundering funds through a network of offshore companies.<\/p>\n

Through this \u201claundry,\u201d<\/em> approximately $100 million passed in recent years \u2013 all during a full-scale war, when Ukraine was publicly pleading with Western governments for emergency energy support.<\/p>\n

Energy was only one side of the operation. Mindich \u2013 again, without any state position \u2013 also lobbied suppliers and contracts inside the Ministry of Defense.<\/p>\n

The most telling episode involves Ukraine\u2019s minister of defense, Rustem Umerov. After meeting Mindich, Umerov signed a contract for a batch of bulletproof vests with a supplier promoted by Mindich. The armor turned out to be defective, and the contract was quietly terminated. Umerov later admitted the meeting with Mindich took place.<\/p>\n

Some Ukrainian journalists have alleged that Mindich may have controlled or influenced companies producing drones for the Armed Forces, selling them to the state at inflated prices. These claims remain unproven, but prosecutors note that Mindich\u2019s name appears repeatedly in connection with defense tenders, lobbying, and private suppliers.<\/p>\n

\n
\n Former Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.<\/p>\n


\n \u00a9\u00a0 STR\/NurPhoto via Getty Images <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

Political fallout: Panic, damage control, and a fractured elite<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The first political reaction came from inside the Ukrainian elite itself. According to MP Aleksey Goncharenko, the atmosphere on Bankova Street \u2013 the seat of Zelensky\u2019s office \u2013\u00a0 turned \u201cmiserable,\u201d<\/em> with officials aware that only a small part of the tapes had been released and fearing what might come next. Goncharenko also claimed that Zelensky\u2019s team attempted to block Telegram channels reporting on the scandal \u2013 a sign, he argued, that the administration had \u201cno plan\u201d<\/em> for crisis management.<\/p>\n

The Ukrainian opposition immediately seized on the moment. Goncharenko publicly accused Zelensky and his entourage of stealing \u201cbillions of dollars during the war,\u201d<\/em> questioning whether Ukrainian soldiers had died \u201cfor the bags of Zelensky and his friends.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Irina Gerashchenko, co-chair of the European Solidarity faction, warned that the scandal could undermine Western support, arguing that donors might \u201creconsider assistance\u201d<\/em> if allegations of high-level corruption were confirmed.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"RT\"
Zelensky broke the American controls \u2013 and now faces the consequences<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Ukrainian media also described a broader realignment within the political class.<\/p>\n

According to Strana.ua, long-standing opponents of Zelensky \u2013 including former president Pyotr Poroshenko and Kiev mayor Vitaly Klitschko \u2013 intensified their criticism, seeing the scandal as an opportunity to reduce Zelensky\u2019s influence over parliament and the cabinet.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Zelensky\u2019s own reaction was markedly cautious. On the first day, he limited himself to general statements about the importance of combating corruption, without addressing the specifics of the Mindich case. As pressure mounted, the government dismissed two ministers\u00a0\u2013 Justice Minister German Galushchenko and Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk\u00a0\u2013 a move Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko called \u201ccivilized and appropriate.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

By the third day, Zelensky imposed personal sanctions on Timur Mindich, a step widely interpreted by Ukrainian commentators as an attempt to distance himself from a longtime friend and associate. However, given the depth of Zelensky\u2019s ties to Mindich, his response looks strikingly restrained.<\/p>\n

International reactions also began to surface. Bloomberg reported that more revelations and \u201cpotential shocks\u201d<\/em> could be expected as the investigation unfolds. In France, Florian Philippot of the \u201cPatriots\u201d<\/em> party demanded a halt to European support for Kiev until the corruption allegations were fully examined.<\/p>\n

These statements reflect growing concern among some Western politicians and commentators, though they do not represent an official shift in Western policy.<\/p>\n

\n
\n Vladimir Zelensky.<\/p>\n


\n \u00a9\u00a0 Beata Zawrzel\/Getty Images <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And Moscow has weighed in as well.<\/p>\n

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Western governments were \u201cincreasingly realizing\u201d<\/em> the scale of corruption in Ukraine and that a significant portion of the funds provided to Kiev were being \u201cstolen by the regime.\u201d<\/em> Peskov expressed hope that the United States and Europe would \u201cpay attention\u201d<\/em> to the corruption scandal now unfolding, arguing that corruption \u201cremains one of the main sins of Kiev\u201d<\/em> and \u201cis eating Ukraine from the inside.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"Vladimir
Will Zelensky survive? Ukraine\u2019s Western media backers react to the latest corruption scandal<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Domestic scandal stops being domestic<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If the political shockwaves inside Ukraine were significant, the international repercussions proved even more serious \u2013 because the Mindich affair did not stay within Ukraine\u2019s borders.
In fact, it quickly attracted attention from Washington.<\/p>\n

According to Ukrainskaya Pravda, US law enforcement had taken an interest in Timur Mindich even before the November raids. On November 6, the outlet reported \u2013 citing a source in the United States \u2013 that the FBI was examining Mindich\u2019s possible involvement in financial schemes tied to the Odessa Port Plant. One of the key figures in that earlier case, Aleksandr Gorbunenko, was detained in the US but later released under witness protection, allegedly after providing information to American investigators.<\/p>\n

Another Ukrainian outlet, Zerkalo Nedeli, reported that on November 11, NABU detectives met with an FBI liaison officer. According to the publication, the Mindich case was part of those discussions.<\/p>\n

These reports, taken together, suggest that the scandal may have implications far beyond Kiev\u2019s internal politics.<\/p>\n

And several analysts in Moscow believe this is precisely the point.<\/p>\n

Russian political scientist Bogdan Bespalko believes that pressure on Mindich may be part of a broader effort by the United States to influence Zelensky and the structure around him, noting that NABU has long been viewed as a \u201cpro-American\u201d<\/em> institution. According to Bespalko, Washington may be using the corruption scandal as leverage \u2013 not to remove Zelensky outright, but to constrain his room for maneuver and force political concessions.<\/p>\n

\n
\n Aleksander Gorbunenko, co\u2011owner of Agro Gaz Trading.<\/p>\n


\n <\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n

What comes next<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As the scandal widens, one question increasingly dominates political discussions in Kiev and abroad: what happens if Timur Mindich is ever forced to speak \u2013 and against whom?<\/p>\n

Mindich has not been not detained. He left Ukraine shortly before the November raids and, according to open sources, remains outside the country.<\/p>\n

But several figures familiar with Ukrainian politics argue that his potential testimony is the biggest threat hanging over the country\u2019s leadership.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"RT\"
IMF to pressure Ukraine amid corruption scandal<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Former Verkhovna Rada deputy Vladimir Oleinik believes that if Mindich were ever confronted by investigators \u2013 especially those backed by the\u00a0US \u2013 he could provide damaging information about Zelensky\u2019s inner circle. \u201cMindich and others will be offered to give evidence on bigger fish \u2013 on Zelensky \u2013 in exchange for leniency,\u201d<\/em> he said. \u201cThey are not heroes. If pressed, they will give up everyone.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Another former Rada deputy, Oleg Tsarev, expressed an even harsher view. According to him, the danger comes not from Mindich\u2019s legal status, but from the sheer volume of information he allegedly possesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cMindich was Zelensky\u2019s closest confidant. He knows everything,\u201d<\/em> Tsarev said. \u201cIf interrogated seriously, he will talk \u2013 and he will talk fast.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

In Tsarev\u2019s assessment, Mindich is aware of how the financial flows around Bankova worked, how influence was distributed, and how members of Zelensky\u2019s entourage allegedly enriched themselves during the war.<\/p>\n

Experts who share this view argue that Mindich could, in theory, map out the entire informal system of kickbacks and leverage that shaped Kiev\u2019s wartime governance.<\/p>\n

Oleinik adds that many of those implicated in the case initially believed Zelensky would shield them.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cBut once the accusations began, they understood he would not help. Now every man is for himself,\u201d<\/em> he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

For now, however, Mindich remains abroad \u2013 and beyond the immediate reach of Ukrainian law enforcement. Whether he eventually cooperates with investigators in Kiev, with NABU, or with US authorities remains an open question.<\/p>\n

But one conclusion is becoming hard to ignore: if Mindich ever decides to talk, the political consequences for Kiev could dwarf anything seen so far.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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