BIG trouble for Ukraine’s Zelenskyy amid Russia-Ukraine war as he faces BIGGEST corruption scandal, top aide accused of…

Russia-Ukraine war: In a major blow to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid the raging Russia-Ukraine war, one of his former business partners has been accused in a massive corruption scandal to the tune of over $100 million.

Zelenskyy aide named ringleader in $100 million bribery scandal

According to a report by Kyiv Independent, Timur Mindich, a longtime associate of Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who co-owned the Ukrainian leader’s now defunct entertainment company, Kvartal 95, has been named as the ringleader of a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).

The group led by Mindich allegedly received bribes and kickbacks worth about $100 million from contractors of a state-owned energy company in exchange for protecting their business deals, and laundered millions through shell companies, NABU said. However, Mindich, a former business partner of Zelenskky, fled Ukraine before he could be formally charged.

Notably, Zelenskyy’s office initially downplayed Mindich’s role in the case, but as as public pressure grew, the president promised to impose sanctions on his former business partner and longtime associate.

How inner circle corruption could damage Volodymyr Zelenskyy?

Political analysts believe Mindich’s involvement could deal a major blow to the anti-corruption image crafted by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who had come to power in 2019 on the back of a popular campaign against corruption and nepotism, promising to bring “fresh faces” into politics.

Analysts note that Zelenskyy’s over reliance on on friends and business associates has, over the years, become one of his biggest political weaknesses.

“The inner circle is always a problem for almost every Ukrainian president. For Zelensky, 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,” says political analyst Volodymyr Fesenko.

According to political commentator Oleh Saakian, Ukrainians voted for Volodymyr Zelenskyy as an idea, not for his team or an ideology, but now the entire decision-making process 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.”

Why Zelenskyy defended accused associates, family?

Notably, Zelenskyy, during his 2019 Presidential campaign, 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,” he had said at the time.

But ironically, 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.

The Ukrainian has often defended his inner circle when pressed about the allegations, saying “If I lose my team, and it’s a small one, 5-6 managers, we will become weaker.”

Zelenskyy’s top officials charged with graft

Timur Mindich follows a lengthy list of associates and top officials who have been investigated or charged for graft in recent years.

These include deputy head of the President’s Office Oleh Tatarov, who 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, the Kyiv Independent reported.

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 report said.

(With inputs from agencies)