Ukraine Court Seizes 5 Luxury Homes in $9 Million Energoatom Kickback Probe
Updated
Updated · Kyiv Independent · May 18
Ukraine Court Seizes 5 Luxury Homes in $9 Million Energoatom Kickback Probe
1 articles · Updated · Kyiv Independent · May 18
Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court seized land plots and five unfinished residences near Kyiv that prosecutors say were built with nearly $9 million laundered through an Energoatom-linked kickback scheme.
NABU and SAPO allege 72% of the project's funding came from criminal proceeds, with more than Hr 460 million routed from bribes paid by contractors seeking to keep supplier status at state nuclear monopoly Energoatom.
Oleksii Chernyshov, Timur Mindich and former presidential office head Andriy Yermak were among seven people charged; investigators say the four 1,000-square-meter houses in Kozyn were coded as R1-R4 to hide intended owners.
The case also folds in an earlier land-discount scheme that NABU says cost Ukraine Hr 1 billion, while leaked references to a possible fourth house for 'Vova' have fueled political fallout around Volodymyr Zelensky's inner circle.
NABU chief Semen Kryvonos said on May 12 that Zelensky is not implicated in the pre-trial investigation, and the President's Office declined comment.
Who is the mystery owner of the fourth mansion in Ukraine's massive 'Operation Midas' corruption probe?
With leaked transcripts naming 'Vova,' can Zelensky's administration survive its biggest wartime corruption scandal?
As top officials build luxury homes, can Ukraine win its internal war on corruption while fighting Russia?
Inside the Energoatom Kickback Scandal: Unmasking $100 Million Corruption Threatening Ukraine’s EU Future
Overview
The Energoatom kickback scandal remains under active investigation by Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies as of May 2026, with NABU leading efforts to uncover the full extent of the scheme. Tymur Mindich has been identified as a key manager in the operation, but the main beneficiaries of the corruption are still unknown and being sought by authorities. The investigation is complex, focusing on how illicit funds were obtained and laundered, and has involved the analysis of transcripts from the 'Midas case' by journalists. This ongoing probe highlights the depth of corruption challenges facing Ukraine's energy sector.