Overview
- Prime Minister Yuliia Sviridenko said Herman Galushchenko was removed from duties pending the probe, with deputy minister Lyudmyla Suhak assigned to serve as acting justice minister.
- NABU and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office carried out Operation Midas with more than 70 searches, reported five detentions, and announced initial charges tied to Energoatom contracting.
- NABU published recordings that reference Mindich, Energoatom representative Dmytro Basov, and adviser Ihor Myroniuk, describing a 10–15% “barrier” kickback scheme and subsequent laundering through offshore networks.
- Investigators identify Mindich as a central figure in the case, while media report he left Ukraine for Israel before the raids; he has not been detained.
- Reports assert the network reached into defense procurement, including pressure to buy substandard body armor, which former defense minister Rustem Umerov rejects, saying a noncompliant contract was terminated, and politicians warn the scandal could jeopardize Western support.