Yermak tells Zelenskyy Kolomoisky may be behind Mindich corruption scandal — media

“This is one of the office’s favorite tactics,” one source told the outlet. “Find an enemy, so you don’t have to admit guilt.”

According to the report, this approach was also used by Andrii Smyrnov, deputy head of the president’s office, who was accused of illicit enrichment. Until formal charges were brought against him, Smyrnov continued to insist the case was a political hit job.

Former deputy head Rostyslav Shurma followed the same pattern, the report says. After he was accused of involvement in the possible theft of 300 million hryvnias in budget funds paid to his brother’s company operating in Russian-occupied territory, he allegedly tried to portray the case as “revenge by Kolomoisky.”

Kolomoisky, meanwhile, has already weighed in on the so-called “Mindichgate.” During a court hearing, he referred to Tymur Mindich — Zelenskyy’s close friend and longtime business partner — as “a scapegoat,” saying he “doesn’t have what it takes to be a mafia boss.”

Political sources told Ukrainska Pravda the president’s circle is now most concerned about whether Yermak himself might be formally named as a suspect in the ongoing investigation into Mindich’s alleged criminal activity.

“Everyone inside the system understands who actually spearheaded the July crackdown on NABU,” a member of Zelenskyy’s team told the outlet, referring to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine.

“If they hadn’t started that, if they hadn’t screwed up, if they hadn’t gone after SAPO [the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office] chief Oleksandr Klymenko after that instead of calming down — the whole Midas thing would have come to light maybe a year from now, and not in this form,” the source said.

He added that under different circumstances, it would have played out the usual way: someone quietly fired, someone else quietly charged, and the situation resolved. “But because of that crackdown,” the source said, “NABU had no other choice but to go public with the scandal.”

“So now everyone gets it,” he concluded. “Everyone knows who really cooked this mess up.”

Operation Midas: key developments

On Nov. 10, NABU detectives raided the home of businessman Tymur Mindich, the office of former Energy Minister — and current Justice Minister — Herman Halushchenko, and the state-run company Energoatom. Mindich had left Ukraine just hours earlier.

According to NABU, Operation Midas uncovered the activities of a “high-level organized criminal group” allegedly led by “a businessman widely known in the media.” Investigators say the suspects set up an extensive kickback scheme to exert influence over Energoatom, demanding 10–15% in bribes from the company’s contractors.

Five individuals were detained and placed in custody with the option of bail. Among them were former Energy Ministry adviser Ihor Myroniuk, Energoatom’s chief of security Dmytro Basov, and employees of the so-called “back office,” which investigators say was used to launder money.

On Nov. 13, journalist Oleh Novikov reported that bail had been posted for two of the suspects: Lesia Ustymenko and Liudmyla Zorina.

President Zelenskyy said all those found guilty must face justice. He also imposed sanctions on businessmen Mindich and Oleksandr Zukerman.