NABU Raids the Home of Zelensky’s Close Associate Tymur Mindich

Detectives from Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau have searched the home of one of President Volodymyr Zelensky’s closest associates, businessman Tymur Mindich. According to Ukrainska Pravda, the operation began on the morning of 10 November in Kyiv, but Mindich left the country just a few hours earlier.

According to sources, he is implicated in several episodes: from alleged corruption in the procurement of drones for the army, in which an affiliated company, Fire Point, served as contractor, to schemes on the energy market. The case file also includes wiretap recordings from Mindich’s apartment that investigators believe may contain his conversations with the president.

At the same time, it emerged that Mindich may become a subject of an FBI probe into possible money laundering. Sources say the investigation concerns corruption around the Odesa Port Plant, informal control over which, prior to the full-scale invasion, passed from Serhiy Shefir to Mindich. In 2023 NABU placed suspects in the plant embezzlement case on a wanted list. One of them, Oleksandr Horbunenko, left for the United States shortly after Russia’s invasion and obtained temporary refugee status. In April 2025, following a request from NABU, US authorities opened a criminal case against him, and he was detained while attempting to fly to Dubai.

During his contacts with US investigators, Horbunenko answered questions about Mindich. He was then unexpectedly placed under FBI protection—a move that, according to sources, suggests he may be prepared to cooperate with US authorities. “Horbunenko may have been involved in money laundering, like other actors in the schemes around the Odesa Port Plant. This makes him of interest to federal investigators not only because of Mindich, but also in the context of other influential figures,” a representative of Ukrainian law enforcement said.

The case is rapidly acquiring political overtones. The investigation into Mindich coincided with an attempt by the President’s Office to curtail the powers of NABU and bring the anti-corruption system under tighter control. After Zelensky submitted a bill formally restoring the Bureau’s authority, Ukrainian media and MPs began suggesting that pressure on the anti-corruption institutions was directly linked to the Mindich affair.

Mindich is a long-standing business partner of Zelensky and co-owner of the Kvartal 95 studio. In the past, he was linked to Ihor Kolomoisky and for many years acted as an intermediary between him and Zelensky. After Zelensky’s election victory, he became one of the president’s closest confidants. According to sources, Mindich took part in informal meetings where business deals and political decisions were discussed. The president’s opponents call him “Zelensky’s wallet”, claiming that he controlled financial flows involved in corrupt schemes.

Journalists have also tied Mindich to companies suspected of embezzlement in the construction of fortifications and the procurement of drones. One of his relatives has been detained on suspicion of stealing 125 million hryvnias through equipment contracts for Kharkivoblenergo.