Following the international news that a close associate of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has fled the country shortly before a police raid, the news is only getting worse. Timur Mindich, knwon as Zelensky’s “cash wallet,” who has a long history with Zelensky, has left behind bundles of money and even a gold toilet, which were discovered during the course of raids by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU).
“The biggest corruption scandal in Ukraine since the start of the war is erupting,” writes Welt newspaper, arguably the most influential newspaper in Germany.
The case goes so far up into Zelensky’s regime clique, that even the justice minister, Herman Halushchenko, has been suspended.
“The Justice Minister is under forced suspension. At the center of the controversy is a close confidant of President Zelenskyy. His flight raises serious questions about possible accomplices at the very top of the state apparatus,” continues Welt.
Welt goes on to note that golden toilets have a long history in Ukraine, dating back to former President Viktor Yanukovych, who was discovered to have a gold toilet when he fled the country in 2014 to Russia.
“Timur Mindich also has one. Or rather, had one. Because Mindich, a long-time business partner of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is on the run,” writes Welt.
BREAKING: ONE MORE DARK DAY FOR ZELENSKY
Look at the pic. This is Ukraine’s Minister of Energy, Svitlana Hrynchuk on a photo, who appears in recordings by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) in a major corruption case in the energy sector. She received… https://t.co/xSlmUrDrky pic.twitter.com/5bHKF3spUh
— Oleksandr Dubinskyi (@Dubinsky_pro) November 11, 2025In addition, NABU also “published a photo of bundles of unopened dollar bills, still bearing the seals and barcodes of the American banks of origin. It should therefore not be difficult to trace the origin of the money and its path out of state control,” writes Welt.
There is speculation that Mindich fled to Israel, due to his close connections in the country, including hosting his marriage and recently visiting for his birthday.
Notably, when Yanukovych fled Ukraine, the country was not involved in a war in which hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians had been dead and wounded. Mindich and those committing corruption within the Zelensky government are arguably a far more mendacious group of individuals to be partaking in such alleged corruption during a war that has decimated Ukraine.
As Remix News reported yesterday, the case involves at least $100 million in bribery kickbacks, and has shaken Ukrainian society. The Remix News article details Zelensky’s deep business involvement with Mindlich, including Mindlich even buying Zelensky a bullet-proof car in 2017.
🇺🇦 Zelensky’s “wallet” Mindich, fled Ukraine just hours before a raid by NABU and SAP.
New details now reveal that Mindich was at the center of a massive corruption network inside Energoatom. Contractors were forced to pay 10–15% kickbacks on every deal, under threat of payment… https://t.co/0OrprC0ZWZ pic.twitter.com/aGCiOjDrhU
— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) November 10, 2025The news comes at a time when pro-war EU hawks are calling for Ukraine to be admitted to the EU, arguing it meets the criteria to begin the admission process despite being entangled in a war and abandoning democratic principles.
Welt further details how deep the case goes into, writing that “the list of allegations being investigated is extensive: improper procurement procedures, embezzled funds, parallel management structures in state-owned and semi-state-owned companies, and undeclared accounting. The damage is estimated at around $100 million. The list of potential suspects is also long, including several top managers, active politicians, a minister, and former politicians, in one case with long-standing ties to Moscow.”
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the State Prosecutor’s Office for Corruption (Sapo) conducted mass raids targeting 70 locations in regard to the state-owned nuclear energy company Energoatom, “as well as at the private residences of Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko (who served as Energy Minister until July 2025), the apartment of Timur Mindich, and other individuals,” writes Welt
