Zelensky and Umerov are named in Mindich’s notice of suspicion — full text published

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is mentioned in the notice of suspicion issued to businessman Tymur Mindich by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU).

The text of the suspicion was published by MP Oleksiy Honcharenko and journalist Volodymyr Boyko.

“The pre-trial investigation has established that no later than January–February 2025, Tymur Mykhailovych Mindich, taking advantage of the situation that had developed in Ukraine during the period of martial law, of his friendly relations with the President of Ukraine Zelensky V.A., and of his ties with current and former top officials of state authorities and law-enforcement agencies, and thus using his significant influence in the state, decided, for the purpose of satisfying his own needs, to enrich himself illegally by organizing the commission of crimes in various sectors of Ukraine’s economy,” the suspicion states.

The text also directly states that Mindich carried out “criminal activity” with the assistance of then–Defense Minister Rustem Umerov: companies controlled by Mindich were using Ministry of Defense funds.

“Thus, in the course of 2025, facts of the criminal activity of Mindich T.M. were established in the energy sector, through his exerting influence on the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Halushchenko H.V., and in the defense sector, through his exerting influence on the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Umerov R.E. The successful implementation of the criminal activity depended on the support of personal ties with the heads of the ministries and on holding regular meetings with them and other influential state officials at his actual place of residence. This communication provided Mindich T.M. with the opportunity to obtain, without hindrance, significant sums of money both personally and for the enterprises subordinate to him, with the assistance of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Umerov R.E., the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Halushchenko H.V., as well as other persons,” the document says.

The notice of suspicion to Mindich is brought under several articles, including:

• creation of a criminal organization;

• unlawful influence on high-ranking officials (the ministers of energy and defense);

• control over financial flows in the energy sector;

• money laundering;

• recruitment of participants into a criminal organization.

In one passage, it is stated that Mindich provided political “patronage” for Minister Halushchenko in the eyes of the president in order to control financial flows in the energy sector and launder money:

“At the same time, with the assistance of the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Halushchenko H.V., Mindich T.M. exercised control over financial flows in the energy sector of Ukraine. Halushchenko H.V., in turn, received personal benefit through the patronage of Mindich T.M. before the President of Ukraine Zelensky V.A. and by using services organized by Mindich T.M. for the legalization (laundering) of funds obtained by criminal means, through a trusted person — the adviser to the Minister of Energy Halushchenko H.V., Myroniuk I.”

The suspicion against Mindich also mentions an episode in which he persuaded Umerov to purchase low-quality bulletproof vests from a specific company, something the media had previously reported on.

Mindich said the following to the minister:

“I’m asking you, don’t walk away from this — bulletproof vests are big money”; “Just have them sign off on the acceptance. That’s it. For you it’s just one phone call, for f—’s sake, just say: I don’t want to hear from Tymur about bulletproof vests anymore, and I meet with him twice a week”; “It’s just one order from you — and that’s all”; “Sort this out, I’m begging you, or it’s going to be a complete disaster”; “It’s just that 7 or 6–300 million have been put in there, half of it is my money.”

Umerov replied:

“I hear you, I’ll call them, I’ll say again: look, what do you need from me so that you do this?”

In the end, the contract was concluded.

It should be recalled that Umerov is currently abroad and is supposed to return to Ukraine tomorrow.