Ukrainian investigators on Tuesday (November 11, 2025) accused a close ally of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of orchestrating a $100 million corruption scheme, as a major standoff over graft in the war-torn country escalates.
The accusations against Timur Mindich are the latest episode in a sweeping corruption scandal involving claims of massive embezzlement from the energy sector, even as the country’s infrastructure is battered by Russian attacks.
Mindich co-owns the media production company Kvartal 95, founded by Mr. Zelenskyy, who was a star comedian before running for office.
“Mindich exercised control over the accumulation, distribution, and legalisation of money obtained through criminal means in the energy sector of Ukraine,” a prosecutor from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) said.
The suspect used “friendly relations with the president of Ukraine” in his criminal activity, the prosecutor added during a pre-trial hearing for another man accused of involvement in the scheme.
