A sprawling $100 million corruption scandal has rocked Ukraine, implicating a once-shadowy dealmaker with close ties to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Tymur Mindich, a former business partner of the president, has been formally accused by Ukrainian anti-corruption watchdogs of being the mastermind behind a sophisticated embezzlement and kickbacks scheme.
From Entertainment Tycoon to Political Insider
Before this week's revelations brought his activities into the public eye, Tymur Mindich was a figure known more for his behind-the-scenes influence than public notoriety. The 46-year-old was a co-owner of Zelenskyy's production company, Kvartal 95, the comedy troupe that propelled the president to fame before his political career.
Their close association is well-documented. President Zelenskyy used Mindich's armoured car during the final phase of his 2019 presidential campaign and even celebrated his birthday in Mindich's apartment during COVID-19 lockdowns in January 2021. The two own apartments in the same building.
Following Zelenskyy's election victory, Mindich's political and business influence expanded significantly. He became a close business associate of Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoysky, an early backer of Zelenskyy's presidential bid. Businesses once linked to Kolomoysky later claimed Mindich as their beneficiary.
The $100 Million Embezzlement Scheme
The full extent of Mindich's alleged activities was exposed when Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO) released findings from a 15-month investigation.
Investigators allege Mindich exerted control over a network of loyalists, including former energy minister Herman Haluschenko, who pressured contractors at Energoatom, the state nuclear power company. The scheme allegedly demanded kickbacks of up to 15% to bypass bureaucratic hurdles and ensure smooth business operations.
The case relies heavily on 1,000 hours of wiretaps that prosecutors say reveal Mindich's significant influence. While rarely named as a direct beneficiary in official documents, the wiretap evidence allegedly shows he was the architect of the plot.
Illicit funds were reportedly siphoned off and laundered through shell companies before being funnelled into Mindich's pockets and those of his associates. The scandal has already forced the resignation of two top government ministers, including Haluschenko, who had been moved from energy minister to justice minister in July only to resign this week.
Wartime Consequences and Further Investigations
Anti-corruption activists have expressed grave concern about the timing and nature of the scandal. Activist Tetiana Shevchuk of Ukraine's Anti-Corruption Action Centre stated, "What we were hearing only as rumours now has some evidence. For a long time we have heard that Tymur Mindich is a shadow controller of the energy sector."
She emphasised the particular severity of the allegations given the current wartime context, noting that the corruption involves energy infrastructure while many Ukrainians suffer from electricity shortages.
Mindich has fled the country, and any criminal proceedings against him are likely to be conducted in absentia. In a related case, his relative Leonid Mindich was arrested in June while attempting to flee Ukraine and charged with embezzling $16 million from an electric power company.
Further investigations are underway, including a NABU probe into Mindich's alleged dealings with Ukraine's top drone manufacturer, Fire Point, though findings have not yet been released. The company, which develops deep-strike drones capable of hitting targets inside Russian territory, has denied any such dealings.
