Ukraine is experiencing the biggest corruption scandal of recent years.
According to Modern.az, the accusations, which have reached the highest levels of the state, have severely shaken President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's team.
According to local media, Zelenskyy “was shaken when he saw the scale of the accusations” and is now distancing himself from several high-ranking officials.
Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies have determined that at least 100 million dollars were embezzled from the state-owned company “Energoatom” as a result of a 15-month investigation. Secret audio recordings, apartment searches, and documents have revealed that the corruption scheme was managed by an extensive network.
Among those accused is Timur Mindich, a close friend and former business partner of Zelenskyy. A “golden toilet” was even found in his home. Mindich fled the country a few hours before prosecutors arrived at his house, and it is suspected that someone warned him in advance.
It is alleged that part of the collected money was sent to Moscow, while another part was spent on the construction of luxurious villas for high-ranking officials near Kyiv.
Following the scandal, parliament will hold a vote on November 18 to dismiss Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk and Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko. They deny the accusations.
The investigation revealed that network members referred to each other by nicknames. These include “Karlson” (Mindich), “Che Guevara” (Oleksiy Chernyshov (former deputy prime minister), and “Professor”. There are even audio recordings of individuals complaining of back pain from carrying suitcases full of money.
When those involved in corruption realized they were being tracked, they found the home addresses of the investigators and even obtained footage from hidden cameras, beginning to exert pressure.
Subsequently, attempts by the presidential administration to halt the investigation are alleged. A law restricting the independence of anti-corruption bodies was even passed but was withdrawn after mass protests.
Currently, the question is whether the president was aware of this scandal or overlooked it due to the war. Official bodies believe that Zelenskyy was unaware of the details of the corruption scheme. However, the mention of individuals close to him poses a serious threat to the president's political future.
A Ukrainian officer likened the scandal to an “atomic bomb explosion”.
Experts say that this scandal could have severe consequences in two directions: demoralization of soldiers fighting at the front and the risk of reduced financial aid to Ukraine from abroad.
Ukraine needs approximately 100 billion dollars in foreign support annually. Now, some countries may use the corruption scandal as an excuse to reduce aid.
The investigation continues. Five people have already been arrested, and more arrests are expected. Anti-corruption agencies will investigate Ukraine's defense sector in the next phase, which further concerns the political elite.
“Zelenskyy faces a choice: either he will have to conduct an "operation" within his own team, or the crisis could collapse the entire system,” said one of the experts speaking to "The Economist".
