Bereza about the "Mindich films": Shylo and Verbytsky were also part of this system
Former top-level SBU official Artem Shylo and former Deputy Prosecutor General Dmytro Verbytskyi have been linked to influence schemes mentioned in the so-called “Mindich tapes.” This was stated in a post by politician Boryslav Bereza published amid renewed discussions surrounding recordings featuring officials, businessmen, and conversations about appointments within state institutions.
The politician claims that Shylo and Verbytskyi “actively participated” in schemes related to influencing state institutions and the financial sector.
“Shylo is a former high-ranking SBU officer who was allegedly hidden somewhere in frontline territories to avoid public attention, while Verbytskyi is a former deputy prosecutor general whom journalists and the NACP caught red-handed in illegal enrichment,” the post states.
The publication also notes that both figures are currently under NABU scrutiny. The author questions whether these cases will eventually lead to convictions or whether the suspects will once again manage to avoid responsibility.
Particular attention in the post is given to Sense Bank and the story surrounding iBox Bank. The author suggests that after iBox Bank was removed from the market, the state-owned Sense Bank may have become a key financial platform for people connected to Tymur Mindich.
The text also mentions the activities of the Temporary Investigative Commission of the Verkhovna Rada, which is examining the possible influence of informal groups on state banks, procurement processes, and staffing decisions.
The author compares the scale of the alleged schemes to the plot of the Italian TV series La Piovra, in which an organized group controls state processes through political and financial ties.
“Recordings discussing the appointment of ‘their own people’ to the supervisory board of a state bank are a verdict in themselves. These are details pointing to systemic corruption during wartime,” the post says.
There have been no official comments so far from Artem Shylo, Dmytro Verbytskyi, or any other individuals mentioned in connection with these claims.
The Artem Shylo Case
It should be recalled that former freelance adviser to the Presidential Office Artem Shylo is under investigation by NABU and SAPO over alleged embezzlement in procurement schemes. The case concerns a large-scale corruption scheme at Ukrainian Railways (Ukrzaliznytsia). Investigators have identified three key episodes.
Cable procurement fraud: According to investigators, in 2021 Viktor Bondar and businessman Volodymyr Kotliar organized supplies of products at inflated prices. Artem Shylo allegedly facilitated contracts worth over UAH 100 million, while part of the profits (around UAH 12 million) was transferred to accounts of affiliated companies. Total losses to Ukrzaliznytsia in this scheme are estimated at UAH 140 million.
Transformers and the “Belarusian connection”: The second episode concerns procurement in 2022. Investigators claim Artem Shylo created a group that lobbied for the victory of the company Uzelektro. Despite the fact that the company’s controller was a Belarusian citizen with ties to russia, Shylo allegedly initiated a letter to Ukrzaliznytsia “Regarding threats to state security,” which became grounds for rejecting more favorable bids. As a result, transformers were purchased through a Bulgarian intermediary in Uzbekistan and resold to Ukrzaliznytsia at double the price, causing losses of UAH 94.8 million.
Money laundering and luxury real estate: The third episode concerns the laundering of more than UAH 159 million. The money was allegedly funneled through accounts belonging to front persons and through the 365 STUDIO beauty salon chain under the guise of payment for services. The salons belong to Shylo’s wife. Iryna Shylo started her business with a small nail salon, but after marrying Artem her business rapidly expanded. New salons with modern equipment were opened even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many entrepreneurs struggled to survive. Various luxury cars and multimillion-dollar real estate assets were registered in her name. It later became known that Iryna Shylo purchased luxury property in Dubai worth $4 million.
The Dmytro Verbytskyi Case
As for former Deputy Prosecutor General Dmytro Verbytskyi, his case became one of the biggest corruption scandals of 2024. Journalistic investigations uncovered the following assets linked to the former deputy prosecutor general:
— a mansion in the Konyk residential complex, whose declared value in official documents was understated sixfold;
— Porsche vehicles and real estate registered in the name of his civil partner, whose official income could not explain such wealth.
Although Verbytskyi resigned from office in the summer of 2024 “of his own accord,” the public expected a legal assessment of his assets. However, according to a response from SAPO, two years after the investigation began, the status of the suspects remains unchanged.
Earlier, schemes connected to the scandal-ridden former deputy prosecutor general Dmytro Verbytskyi and people close to him were exposed in Odesa. Those implicated include former deputy mayor Dmytro Zheman, owners of Baltic Auto Shipping Ukraine LLC, State Environmental Inspection official Tetiana Zaitseva, as well as elite villas, cottages in gated communities, luxury vehicles, and multimillion-dollar deals. Details were published in an investigation by UA.News.
Meanwhile, Verbytskyi has officially launched a political career. The Odesa regional branch of the Batkivshchyna party confirmed to UA.News that Verbytskyi is now a member of Yulia Tymoshenko’s party.
When journalists asked about Verbytskyi’s luxury assets — including a cottage in the Konyk complex purchased at one-sixth of its market value and a Porsche for his partner — Batkivshchyna responded in standard legal language. Tymoshenko’s party described the investigations as “value judgments” and reminded the public of the presumption of innocence.
After the journalistic investigations, his resignation, and accusations of illegal enrichment by the NACP, Verbytskyi filed a lawsuit demanding that the NACP’s conclusions be declared “invalid” and that further scrutiny of his lifestyle be prohibited. He insisted that he and his relatives are honest people with legitimate incomes.
However, Judge Lysenko of the Kyiv District Administrative Court gave a clear answer: no. The NACP has every right to investigate not only the prosecutor’s own finances, but also property registered under girlfriends, nephews, or his mother.
The full chronology of scandals connected to Dmytro Verbytskyi can be found in the report.
