Ukraine prez shields 'friend' amid war? Zelensky associate avoids anti-graft raid after ‘tip off’

Timur Mindich, a close associate and long-time business partner of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, has become the center of a major corruption scandal shaking Kyiv’s power structure. Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) raided multiple properties linked to Mindich on November 10. Investigators suspect Mindich of manipulating state-owned energy enterprises and influencing appointments within Zelensky’s cabinet, including ministers later charged with bribery. The probe also extends to Energoatom, Ukraine’s state nuclear company, and the arms manufacturer “Fire Point,” involved in producing the Flamingo missile. Mindich’s alleged financial ties to Russian businesses have deepened controversy amid the ongoing war. Zelensky responded cautiously, praising anti-corruption agencies while critics accused him of shielding his inner circle.