Zelenskyy hit by major scandal as ex-biz partner accused of $100 mn graft

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is facing the biggest corruption scandal of his six-year presidency, as investigators accuse one of his former business partners of leading a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme, Kyiv Independent reported.

The case involves Timur Mindich, Zelenskyy's longtime associate and co-owner of his former entertainment company, Kvartal 95. Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) has said that Mindich led a group that received bribes and kickbacks worth about $100 million from contractors of a state-owned energy company in exchange for protecting their business deals.

According to the bureau, the group laundered millions through shell companies. Mindich, however, fled Ukraine before he could be formally charged.

At first, Zelenskyy's office downplayed Mindich's role in the case. But as public pressure grew, the president promised to impose sanctions on his former business partner.

"The inner circle is always a problem for almost every Ukrainian president," said political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko.

"For Zelenskyy, these are friends. People he knew and trusted. But life has punished him a few times, especially now with Mindich, showing that excessive trust in friends can end badly."

Zelenskyy rose to power in 2019 by campaigning against corruption and nepotism, promising to bring "fresh faces" into politics. However, analysts say his reliance on friends and business associates has now become one of his biggest political weaknesses.

"Society voted for Zelenskyy as an idea, not for his team or an ideology," said political analyst Oleh Saakian. "We end up with a situation where decision-making is concentrated in the President's Office. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. It was only a matter of time before someone in the inner circle started enriching themselves or tried to play their own game."

During his 2019 campaign, Zelenskyy had sharply criticised then-President Petro Poroshenko over corruption scandals involving top aides. "Modern politicians are tied to old grudges, nepotism, and business projects, and are incapable of changing Ukraine," Zelenskyy had said at the time.

However, within two years of taking office, approximately 30 people connected to Zelenskyy's family or his former comedy studio were appointed to senior government positions, according to the Kyiv Independent, which cited the investigative outlet Bihus.Info.

When pressed about his inner circle, Zelenskyy often defended them. "If I lose my team, and it's a small one, 5-6 managers, we will become weaker," he said in 2023.

According to a 2024 poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology, about half of Ukrainians believe Zelenskyy has fulfilled few or none of his campaign promises. Among those who said he failed, 50 per cent cited "dishonest, corrupt people in his team," while 32 per cent blamed a lack of competent staff.

Several senior officials close to Zelenskyy have been charged or investigated in recent years, according to the Kyiv Independent.

Deputy head of the President's Office Oleh Tatarov was charged with bribery but remains in office. Another deputy head, Andrii Smyrnov, was dismissed in 2024, while Rostyslav Shurma is currently under investigation after his Munich apartment was raided.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov has been charged twice with illicit enrichment. Andrii Kostin, the former Prosecutor General who resigned amid corruption allegations, has been appointed ambassador to the Netherlands.

The latest energy corruption scandal continues to unfold, with court hearings revealing new details dailyt.