Kremlin Highlights Ukraine Corruption Scandal Involving Zelensky’s Inner Circle
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that the EU and the US have likely taken notice of a major corruption scandal in Ukraine implicating members of President Vladimir Zelenskyy’s inner circle.
“[The Kremlin] has certainly paid attention. We believe that European capitals and the United States have also taken notice,” Peskov told reporters. “Notably, these countries have been very active as donors to the Kyiv regime,” he added.
Earlier, Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) reported that a corrupt group led by businessman Timur Mindich, a close associate of Zelenskyy, could have operated not only in the energy sector but also within the defense industry. A prosecutor from the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP) said Mindich had interfered in the defense sector by influencing then-Defense Minister Rustem Umerov.
On November 10, NABU and SAP launched an investigation into a major corruption scheme in the energy sector. Searches were conducted at Energoatom and at the residences of Timur Mindich and German Galushchenko, former energy minister and current justice minister. NABU also released recordings from Mindich’s apartment revealing discussions of corrupt practices. The investigation implicated four current and former ministers, with Galushchenko named by Ukrainian media as one of them.
Late on November 11, NABU filed embezzlement charges against a former deputy prime minister, identified locally as Alexey Chernyshov, another member of Zelensky’s inner circle. On the morning of November 12, the Ukrainian cabinet suspended Justice Minister Galushchenko amid the ongoing investigation.
