War, lack of electricity and theft of millions. Zelensky in the grip of the “Midas” scandal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has found himself in a difficult situation in recent weeks both at home and in relations with foreign partners due to the high-profile corruption scandal in Ukraine. The discussion about this scandal focuses on the role played by people close to the head of state and the leader himself.

Codename “Midas”: Millions Disappeared from the Energy Sector

According to the disclosed data from the investigation code-named “Midas”, people involved in corruption activities allegedly siphoned approximately $100 million from the Ukrainian state budget, mainly from the energy sector. This is even more shocking for public opinion in the situation of the ongoing war with Russia and daily interruptions in electricity supplies caused by Russian shelling – especially with the approaching winter.

Escape of the president's friend

Public interest is also due to the fact that one of the main suspects in the investigation in the case conducted by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) is Tymur Mindich – formerly a close associate of Zelensky in the Kvartal 95 studio, even before his election to the office of president in 2019. According to the Ukrainska Pravda website, Zelensky maintained social contacts with Mindich even after his election to the highest position in the country.

The website drew attention to the fact that the manner of functioning and the nature of the activities conducted by Mindicz in recent years were not so much non-public, but actually clandestine. “When he was in Ukraine, he practically did not walk on the streets. He enjoyed the privilege of using cars with company license plates, although he had no right to do so,” Ukrainska Pravda noted in a text devoted to the NABU investigation.

The proceedings in the case in which Mindicz is a suspect began on August 21 this year, based on articles of the Criminal Code regarding the creation and management of a criminal group, “laundering” high-value financial resources obtained in violation of the law, and influencing members of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine in order to make decisions in violation of the law. The investigation has been ongoing for several months (it started in 2024).

Journalists also draw attention to the fact that Mindich's apartment in Kiev is located in the same building where Zelensky lives. Mindicz himself left Ukraine a few hours before his apartment was searched by anti-corruption services.

Armament thread and long-range drones

There is also information about Mindicz's possible influence in the arms sector, including in connection with the Fire Point company, which produces long-range drones – the widely used FP-1 and FP-5 Flamingo, with characteristics comparable to some types of cruise missiles. Denys Sztilerman, the main designer and owner of the company, denied in an interview with the Zerkało Tyżnia portal that Mindicz was a co-owner of the company. Mindicz himself was to propose the purchase of Fire Point shares in 2024, but he was refused.

Yermak as “Ali Baba”? Fight for influence in NABU

Another important thread is the appearance in the context of this case of the name of the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak (in the investigation files he is listed under the pseudonym Ali Baba). NABU refused to confirm or deny reports whether suspicions also apply to this politician. According to Ukrainska Pravda, Yermak was involved in the preparation of the draft law on the National Anticorruption Bureau of Ukraine, which appeared in July this year. and caused mass protests due to attempts to limit his competences.

“Yermak handed Zelensky a draft bill that was supposed to deprive NABU of key competences, which would also freeze the Mindicz case,” wrote Steve Cortes, a former adviser to US President Donald Trump, in a commentary for Ukrainska Pravda.

The West is losing patience

“Volodymyr Zelensky is subject to enormous pressure at home and abroad, also within his own political camp, to fire the corrupt head of the presidential administration, Andriy Yermak,” wrote the Politico website, commenting on the situation related to the NABU investigation. The parliamentary faction of the European Solidarity party in the Verkhovna Rada (parliament) of Ukraine also called for the dismissal of Yermak and the head of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov (until recently the Minister of Defense of Ukraine).

The head of the President's Office is also negatively assessed abroad. “We have to deal with him. He is Zelensky's man, so we have no choice,” a senior European diplomat said anonymously in an interview with the Kyiv Independent website. Another interlocutor expressed the view that “anything would be better than sending Yermak to Washington again.” He is particularly negatively assessed by Donald Trump's entourage due to his close and not entirely clear relations with the previous US administration.

The first personal consequences of the revealed scandal have already occurred: on November 19, the Ukrainian parliament voted to dismiss Herman Halushchenko, the Minister of Justice, and the head of the Ministry of Energy, Svitlana Hrynychuk, who also appear in the NABU investigation. On Friday, the website Ukrainska Pravda, citing sources close to Zelensky, reported that the president did not plan to resign from Yermak. (PAP)

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