While NABU detectives were searching for Timur Mindich everywhere, and he was rushing headlong toward the borders to leave Ukraine as quickly as possible on the eve of the raids, the business of his wife, Kateryna Verber, continued operating in Kyiv — she is the founder of the company Kameron, offline and online stores that are official distributors of the brands Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent, and Balmain.
The luxurious business facade hides a striking paradox: how can a company with an official registered capital of only 10,000 UAH afford a monopoly on global brands — and whose capital is it really: that of Russia’s ‘luxury queen’ or of the scandalous Ukrainian businessman who has just fled from justice?
Who is Kateryna Verber?
Kateryna Verber is the daughter of the fashion director of Moscow’s TSUM, Alla Verber, who passed away in 2019. Her mother was one of the most famous and influential figures in the fashion industry in the post-Soviet space
According to Vogue, Katia Verber received her education abroad: she was born in Toronto (Canada) and studied in the United States and the United Kingdom. At the University of Edinburgh (Scotland), she studied literature, but she began her professional career in Moscow, dedicating it to the world of fashion.
Before her marriage, Katia worked as a buyer at TSUM and Barvikha Luxury Village in the capital of the Russian Federation. In 2010, she married businessman Timur Mindich, holding the ceremony in Israel. The couple had three children: two daughters — Michelle and Elizabeth — and a son, Michael.
Their four-day wedding was fondly recalled by the bride’s mother, Alla Verber, in an interview for Tatler Russia. She said that their family had never had such a celebration: in Jerusalem, near the Western Wall, there were ‘five hundred invited guests.’ Kateryna carefully chose her outfits, including two looks from Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy, as well as dresses by Chloé and Lanvin.
The russian businesswoman also recalled how she immediately felt that Mindich had been ‘sent by God’ to her daughter. For the engagement, he gave Kateryna a vintage Rolex watch from the 1960s. The wedding in Israel was a matter of principle for Timur, as his father, while dying in a hospital, expressed regret that he would not live to see his son’s wedding. Timur promised to hold the ceremony ‘under the Israeli sky’ so that his father would ‘see everything.’ Their elder daughter, Michelle, was named in his honor.
Today, Verber is the founder of the company Kameron and the owner of monobrand boutiques in Kyiv: Balmain, Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent, and Polo Ralph Lauren. She opened her first Dolce & Gabbana boutique in the Ukrainian capital in 2012.
As for her public presence, Katia is almost inactive on social media. She rarely gives interviews, does not post stories, and does not take part in scandals. After the events surrounding her husband, Timur Mindich, Kateryna closed her Instagram and Facebook profiles and even cleaned up her Wikipedia page.
However, the publication Telegraf managed to notice russian ‘celebrities’ who still follow her profile — they are outspoken supporters of putin: Philip Kirkorov, Katya Lel, singer Slava, Yana Rudkovskaya, Svetlana Bondarchuk, Alexander Revva, Anzhelika Revva, Olga Orlova, and Kateryna Odintsova.
In Ukraine, among Verber’s friends, we see socialites such as Lesia Nikitiuk, Sonya Plakidyuk, Alina Baikova, Masha Yefrosinina, Monobank founder Oleh Horokhovskyi, Olympic karate medalist Anzhelika Terliuga, and many Ukrainian celebrities and their stylists.
The singer of Ukrainian origin, Vera Brezhneva, is also on the list, and Verber even has a photo with the russian ‘journalist’ Ksenia Sobchak. In 2015, they vacationed together in Italy.
What is known about the authorized capital of the company Kameron
The ownership structure of KAMERON consists of several components
LLC ‘KAMERON GROUP’ (KAMERON Group)
- Director: Yesina Yulia Yuriyivna
- Authorized capital: 10,000 UAH
- Owner: LLC ‘KAMERON FASHION’ owns 100% of the company
- Main activities (KVED codes): online retail of clothing, wholesale of clothing, retail in specialized stores, real estate rental, etc.
- Registered in March 2021
LLC ‘KAMERON FASHION’ (KAMERON Fashion)
- Director: Dyachenko Inna Vasylivna
- Authorized capital: 10,000 UAH
- Main activity: 47.91 — retail sale of clothing via the internet
- Founder: LLC ‘POLO STYLE,’ according to YouControl
- Beneficiaries: Khmelov Ihor Yakovych and Furman Felix Arkadiyovych
- Registered in September 2019
Both companies are registered in Kyiv on Degtyarivska Street.
Kameron Trademark
- The Kameron trademark was filed on 29.08.2018 and registered on 25.09.2019
- Trademark owner: LLC ‘Brand Style’
KAMERON in the ‘box’
‘We are not afraid to order the most luxurious items. In buying, we follow the rule: 60% classic and basic models, 40% — bright pieces from the runway,’ Katia said in a 2021 interview with Vogue. Meanwhile, employees of her stores in Kyiv have to wait for months to receive their salaries and endure rude treatment from management.”
And if you check the financial reports in state registries, it gives the impression that the luxury clothing seller is in a very poor situation. In 2024, LLC ‘KAMERON FASHION’ had a revenue of 0 UAH but incurred a loss of 68,600 UAH.
An authorized capital of $250 likely indicates that the real beneficiary is being carefully hidden. The so-called ‘box’ or ‘matryoshka’ structure — a multi-level legal organization of a business created to conceal the true owner (beneficiary) — involves creating several legal entities that own one another, forming multiple layers that make it difficult to track the origin of the capital.
In open registries (YouControl, Opendatabot), Kateryna Verber does not appear as a direct ultimate beneficiary of the companies. The owners of ‘KAMERON FASHION’ are listed as other individuals and companies — LLC ‘POLO STYLE,’ Ihor Khmelov, and Felix Furmanovych — which indicates a multi-layered and closed structure. This strengthens suspicions that they are used as ‘legal shells’ for hidden financing or non-public investments.
Moreover, the ‘box’ structure allows for tax evasion and money laundering.
It is worth noting that President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree adding Timur Mindich to the sanctions list.
The sanctions include a wide range of restrictions: asset blocking; prohibition on capital withdrawals; suspension of trade operations and resource transit; prohibition on participation in privatization and lease of state property; restrictions on radio frequencies and communication services; prohibition on land acquisition; public procurement; and defense contracts.
What this specifically means for Mindich’s and his wife’s business
Absolute freezing of assets. This is not limited to property directly controlled by Mindich. All assets he could manage indirectly — through affiliated persons, legal structures, or trust agreements — are blocked.
Complete prohibition of commercial activity. All his trade operations, contracts, and business contacts in Ukraine are effectively halted and considered null and void.
Restrictions on movement and logistics. Any resources, goods, or assets associated with his name cannot be moved or transported within Ukraine.
Veto on capital withdrawals. No financial operations aimed at transferring, restructuring, or withdrawing funds from Ukrainian jurisdiction can be carried out.
Suspension of financial and contractual obligations. Counterparties, partners, and companies with financial or economic agreements with Mindich are released from fulfilling them. Similarly, he cannot demand their execution.
Cancellation of all permits and licenses. All licenses, permits, and other documents issued to his structures or directly to him automatically cease to be valid.
Prohibition from participating in state tenders and privatization. His structures are completely excluded from any involvement in state property privatization or public procurement.
Freezing securities operations. Any deals, sales, purchases, or other operations with shares, bonds, or other financial instruments linked to the sanctioned person are prohibited.
Blocking capital increases. Companies influenced by Mindich cannot increase their authorized capital, preventing changes or redistribution of corporate shares.
The imposed sanctions, especially the full freezing of assets that Mindich can control indirectly — through affiliated persons, companies, or trusts — pose a direct and critical threat to the business of his wife, Kateryna Verber.
Risk of freezing KAMERON assets
Law enforcement authorities may recognize that, even if Kateryna Verber is the formal owner, Timur Mindich effectively manages or influences KAMERON’s assets. This allows for the automatic full blocking of the company’s operations and accounts, treating it as a ‘hidden asset’ of the sanctioned person.
The sanctions on ‘prohibition of capital withdrawal’ and ‘suspension of financial obligations’ will complicate or completely block any non-public funding of KAMERON, which likely came from Mindich to cover declared losses and the minimal authorized capital.
Loss of licenses and trade operations
The sanction of ‘Complete suspension of trade operations’ may extend to KAMERON’s contracts.
Brand licenses: If it is determined that the exclusive representation agreements for Dolce & Gabbana, Balmain, etc., were concluded or supported through Mindich’s influence (for example, via financing or his personal guarantees), these licenses may be annulled or frozen as ‘frozen trade operations’ of a sanctioned person.
Import and logistics: The restriction on ‘movement of resources and transit’ may result in blocking KAMERON’s logistics chains, which is critical for any retail business.
In summary, sanctions against Timur Mindich could become a legal basis for the effective cessation of Kateryna Verber’s business activities in Ukraine due to suspicions that the company is merely a ‘front’ for managing his hidden assets.
