‘Midas case’: Mindich and Zukerman declared wanted in Ukraine

Nation

22 November 2025, 03:14 PM

Author: Alex Stezhensky
Ukrainian businessmen Tymur Mindich and Oleksandr Zukerman, both implicated in the Midas corruption case tied to the energy sector, have been declared wanted by Ukrainian authorities, according to information posted on the website of the Interior Ministry.

The men are listed under the section titled “Persons hiding from pretrial investigation authorities.” According to the site, both have been considered missing since Nov. 20, 2025.

The search was initiated by the Central Office of Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).

On Nov. 10, NABU detectives searched the home of Tymur Mindich. NV sources reported he had legally left Ukraine just hours earlier, citing his status as the father of three underage children.

Investigators allege that Mindich led a “high-level criminal organization” that orchestrated a large-scale corruption scheme targeting Ukraine’s nuclear operator Energoatom. Members of the group are accused of extorting kickbacks from the company’s contractors amounting to 10–15 percent of contract value. Mindich appears in NABU-released wiretaps under the alias “Karlson.”

Mindich is a co-owner of the Kvartal 95 studio and is widely considered to be part of President Zelenskyy’s inner circle.

Zukerman is also named in the case. He is accused of coordinating the actions of several members of the alleged criminal network. According to Transparency International Ukraine, his trusted associate was Ihor Fursenko, who was taken into custody with bail set at 95 million hryvnias. Zukerman is also believed to be outside Ukraine.

On Nov. 13, Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against both businessmen, identifying them as Israeli citizens.

Member of Parliament Yaroslav Zheleznyak suggested that Mindich and Zukerman may have already been stripped of their Ukrainian citizenship, though such presidential decrees are typically not made public.

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