Who is Timur Mindich, the businessman in Zelenskiy's circle at the center of the major corruption investigation
Timur Mindich, a businessman close to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, is being investigated in a wide-ranging corruption case involving state energy company Energoatom, according to media sources. Mindich would have taken advantage of his connections with Zelenski and significantly increased his influence in recent years, writes The Kyiv Independent citing several journalistic investigations.
An investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) into Mindich's activities was one of the factors that led in July to the authorities' attempt to limit the institution's independence, law enforcement sources told the Kyiv Independent.
The Anti-Corruption Bureau conducted searches in Kyiv on November 10 at premises linked to Mindich, law enforcement sources told the Kyiv Independent. Mindich fled before the searches, according to the sources. NABU said on November 10 that it was investigating a major corruption scheme in the energy sector, including Ukraine's state nuclear company Energoatom. The Kyiv Independent source confirmed that it was the same case.
Mindich was not available for comment, and the president's press service did not respond to requests for comment.
Who is Mindich?
Timur Mindich, 46 years old, is originally from the city of Dnipro, located in central Ukraine. He is a film producer and former business partner of Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky.
According to the media, Mindich has ties to Israel. Sources cited by the publication Ukrainska Pravda say that he celebrated his birthday in Israel in September, returned to Ukraine in mid-October, then went to Israel again.
Mindich is also a longtime friend of Zelenski, with whom he jointly owned the Kvartal 95 production company until Zelenski transferred his stake to partners after he was elected president in 2019. Mindich is also a co-owner of Green Family Ltd, a Cypriot firm that co-founded film production companies in Russia, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoiski stated in 2022, for Ukrainska Pravda, that Mindich introduced Zelenski to him before he became president.
In 2019, Zelenski drove an armored vehicle provided by Mindich, according to RFE/RL.
Mindich visited the president's office at least three times in 2020, the same publication wrote at the time. He said he met with the head of the presidential administration, Andrii Iermak.
In 2021, Zelenski celebrated his birthday in Mindich's apartment, according to investigative journalism project Schemes. In the same year, Mindich attended the party organized by Yermak at the presidential residence Synyohora, in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, Ukrainska Pravda wrote.
Political influence
Mindich would have expanded his political influence in the business environment in recent years. He recommended Zelenskiy appoint former deputy prime minister Oleksii Chernyshov, according to sources cited by the Ukrainska Pravda news agency. Since 2019, when Zelenskiy took power, Chernyshov has held a number of high-ranking posts – governor of Kyiv region, regional minister, head of Naftogaz energy company and later deputy prime minister.
Chernyshov was dismissed after the National Anti-Corruption Bureau accused him, in June 2025, of bribery and abuse of power.
According to Ukrainska Pravda sources, among Mindich's protégés would be Justice Minister Herman Haluschenko, Energy Minister Svitlana Hrinciuk, and Acting Minister of Agriculture Vitali Koval. The ministries they lead did not respond to requests for comment.
Premises associated with Haluschenko, who served as Energy Minister from 2021 to 2025, were also raided by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau on November 10, according to Kyiv Independent sources.
Business influence
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau has been investigating Mindich's alleged ties to drone maker Fire Point, sources previously told the Kyiv Independent, citing a NABU investigation into the company. Fire Point denied having anything to do with it.
In October, opposition MP Iaroslav Jelezniak, a member of the Holos party, published an investigation into Mindich's alleged diamond dealings in Ukraine and Russia.
According to that investigation, Mindich held a stake in Russian diamond producer New Diamond Technology until 2024 – more than two years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on November 6 that it was investigating Mindich on suspicion of aiding the aggressor state, following Zhelezniak's investigation. Zhelezniak also claimed in April that the Anti-Corruption Bureau was investigating Mindich in a 2 billion hryvnia ($48 million) embezzlement case related to Odesa Portside Plant, a fertilizer producer. NABU said it could not comment on the report, while the factory did not respond to a request for comment.
Mindich also has interests in the media industry.
The Kinokit company, owned by his former legal adviser Iulia Drozdova, signed contracts worth more than 350 million hryvnias (about $8.5 million) between 2022 and 2024 to produce content for Teledon, the network of public TV stations created during the war, according to investigative journalism project Bihus.info.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, Mindich is also believed to have influence in the banking sector, particularly through the nationalized bank Sense Bank. The institution did not respond to the request for comments.
Another field in which Mindich would have interests is energy.
In June, NABU arrested a relative of his, Leonid Mindich, as he tried to flee the country, according to Ukrainska Pravda. He was accused of embezzling 16 million dollars from the electricity company Kharkivoblenergo.
The company did not provide a point of view.
