All suspects charged in Operation Midas are named

Journalists have identified all the individuals charged by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) in its major investigation into corruption at the state-owned nuclear energy company Energoatom.

Source: Radio Liberty

Details: The investigative journalism project Skhemy has found that in addition to Tymur Mindich (known as "Karlson" in the NABU files), former energy ministry adviser Ihor Myroniuk ("Rocket"), Dmytro Basov, Energoatom's executive director for security ("Tenor"), and Oleksandr Tsukerman ("Sugarman"), notices of suspicion have been served on Ihor Fursenko ("Roshyk"), Lesia Ustymenko and Liudmyla Zorina.

Five of the suspects have been detained, and two of them – Tymur Mindich and Oleksandr Tsukerman – have left Ukraine.

NABU identified "Roshyk" as the accountant at the so-called "back office". In the recordings, he is heard saying that "carrying a box of cash is not exactly a pleasure".

The journalists report that Ihor Fursenko is registered as a sole trader specialising in IT consultancy. Others had saved his phone number in their contacts as "Ihor, works for Mykhailo Tsukerman".

Lesia Ustymenko and Liudmyla Zorina are also registered as sole traders.

Background:

• Mindich is alleged to have exerted influence over former energy minister Herman Halushchenko and former defence minister Rustem Umierov. The allegation was made by the prosecution during the hearing of a petition brought by a NABU detective seeking the detention of Ihor Myroniuk.
• NABU's investigation indicates that tens of millions of dollars from Energoatom were laundered under the cover of complicit officials.
• The alleged scheme was somewhat crude: businesses that wanted to sell goods or services to Energoatom had to pay a 10-15% kickback or face non-payment and removal from the supplier list – a mechanism dubbed the "tollgate", since you either share your margin or you are left standing at closed doors.
• The ringleader is alleged to be Tymur Mindich ("Karlson"), a businessman, former associate of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and co-owner of Kvartal 95, the Ukrainian TV production company that Zelenskyy founded before he became president. Mindich left Ukraine just hours before the NABU search began.
• The home of former energy minister Herman Halushchenko ("Professor" or "Hera" on the tapes) was searched on 10 November. Sources say that Halushchenko is still an influential figure in the sector through the current energy minister, Svitlana Hrynchuk, and various managers that he installed prior to his dismissal in July 2025.

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