A close associate of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky fled the country just hours before anti-corruption officers carried out raids on his home and properties linked to him, according to Ukrainskaya Pravda.
Businessman Timur Mindich reportedly left Ukraine on Monday, shortly before the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) launched an operation as part of a wider probe connected to the FBI.
Sources told the outlet that Mindich may have been tipped off by a senior official in the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), who had access to sensitive case information. The raids also targeted Justice Minister German Galushchenko, a former energy minister alleged to be Mindich’s government contact, and the state-owned nuclear company Energoatom.
NABU confirmed it was investigating a “high-level criminal organization” operating in Ukraine’s energy sector, citing more than 15 months of surveillance and over 1,000 hours of recorded evidence. Images released by the bureau showed stacks of cash, including bundles of US $100 notes wrapped in plastic.
Mindich, a former entertainment industry businessman, is known for his long-standing ties to Zelensky. Local media have reported that the president celebrated his 2021 birthday at Mindich’s apartment, which was later placed under NABU surveillance. Audio recordings allegedly made there — referred to as the “Mindich tapes” — surfaced earlier this year, reportedly prompting Zelensky to seek greater control over NABU, a move that drew criticism from Western governments.
According to Ukrainskaya Pravda, Mindich’s business dealings span both the defense and energy sectors, and he may also be under investigation by the FBI for money laundering through an offshore company registered in the British Virgin Islands.
🇺🇦 The walls are closing in on Zelensky. The homes of Zelensky’s longtime associate Timur Mindich and his insider-turned-justice-minister were just raided by Ukraine’s anti-corruption agency. Hours earlier? Mindich conveniently fled the country. What did NABU find? A “high-level… pic.twitter.com/Hshw7I2Qqk
— THE ISLANDER (@IslanderWORLD) November 10, 2025
Who’da guessed?
“Mindich, 46, hails from Dnipro, Ukraine, and has ties to Israel”