Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) launched the investigation that triggered Operation Midas on November 10, and although it did not publish the names of the five detainees, Ukrainian media identified Timur Mindić and Oleksandr Zukerman, who have close ties to power circles in Kiev, as among the main defendants. According to the European Press Agency, this judicial intervention had a direct impact not only on the state-owned company Energoatom, the linchpin of Ukraine’s energy sector, but also on senior government officials, leading to the resignations of the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Energy.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a decree establishing sanctions against Mr. Mindić and Mr. Zukerman, in accordance with a resolution adopted the day before by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine as a direct result of the Energoatom corruption scandal. As detailed by the Presidential Administration of Ukraine, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council will manage the implementation of this measure, which will come into force from the date of its publication. Media outlet Europa Press emphasized that the conspiracy under investigation revolves around the diversion and bribery of up to $100 million in exchange for the award of contracts related to the construction of defense facilities for nuclear power plants in Ukraine.
Mr. Mindić, who co-owns the production company Studio Kvartal-95 and is considered close to Mr. Zelenskiy because of his past ties in the television industry, would have left Ukraine hours before the formal investigation by authorities became public. In an interview with Bloomberg, President Zelenskyy spoke about his relationship with the US president, emphasizing that “you cannot make friends with the president of a country at war.” As quoted by Europa News Agency, President Zelenskiy asserted that he had not maintained any communication with Mindić since the beginning of the investigation, and stressed the anti-corruption body’s obligation to maintain its autonomy, insisting that “everyone must be equally accountable before the law.”
Mindić’s sudden departure increased media and political attention to the cause, as the production company Studio Kvartal-95 played a key role in Zelenskiy’s rise to power before he became president. Europa Press also reported that the anti-corruption operation involved other players in the energy sector, including advisers at the Ministry of Energy and senior officials at Energoatom.
In the wake of the crisis at Energoatom, the President of Ukraine called for major changes in the company’s management. President Zelenskiy announced his intention to “clean out” and “reset” Energoatom, a strategic enterprise in the context of war and a repeated target of Russian attacks. The president acknowledged the complexities facing the country and stressed the need to maintain “maximum health” in the energy sector, as this is an issue that affects national credibility in the midst of aggression, the European Press reported.
In addition to dismissing two ministers, President Zelenskiy called for the protection of the country’s energy infrastructure. He referred to the significance of the incident and the importance of preventing corruption in the country as Ukraine faces the consequences of war, saying: “It is absolutely unacceptable that a conspiracy exists even in the energy sector in this situation.”
The investigation affecting Energoatom was carried out against the background of vulnerabilities, in view of the Russian attack on the main facilities of energy supply in Ukraine. The European Press Agency noted that the government’s response, regardless of personal or political connections, shows a firm stance in the face of corruption cases, supports NABU’s work and seeks to promote the organization’s renewal.
The sanctions order signed by President Zelensky stipulates that the supervision of sanctions compliance will be entrusted to the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, which will ensure the traceability and application of the measures. Moreover, the European Press Agency stressed that the NABU investigation aims to clarify the responsibility of individuals within the framework of allowing large-scale misappropriation of funds in one of the most sensitive sectors for the country’s stability and reconstruction.
As Ukraine endures persistent attacks on its strategic infrastructure by Russian forces, the government has emphasized the importance of not tolerating any form of economic fraud. As reported by Europa News Agency, President Zelenskiy reiterated that his priorities are the defense of national sovereignty and guaranteeing the transparent functioning of public institutions, fundamental aspects of maintaining international support and domestic order during armed conflicts.
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