"Midas": Umerov coordinated new government appointments with Mindich
MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak has released new recordings of conversations between sanctioned businessman Timur Mindich and the current Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov. The recordings are dated early July 2025 and, according to the MP, were made at Mindich’s apartment in Kyiv at 9a Hrushevsky Street. Yaroslav Zheleznyak shared this information on his YouTube channel. The conversations were conducted in Russian and, in places, sound like phrases taken out of context. At the same time, the recordings suggest that the interlocutors were discussing upcoming personnel changes in the Cabinet of Ministers, as well as the possible replacement of Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States. In particular, Mindich and then-Defense Minister Umerov were critical of the government led by Denys Shmyhal. Umerov called the Cabinet “nothing.” “Look at this, here’s the Cabinet. It’s nothing. You ask for money, and you can’t get it,” he said. The conversation also mentions potential candidates for the position of defense minister. Among them are Shmyhal himself, “Misha” (presumably Mykhailo Fedorov), and, likely, Ihor Klymenko. According to Mindich, none of them are suitable due to the risks of losing control over military procurement. A separate part of the conversation concerns the possible dismissal of Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova. The interlocutors discussed candidates to replace her. According to Umerov, he discussed this issue with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Among the candidates mentioned were Herman Halushchenko and Olga Stefanishyna. At the same time, Mindich proposed the candidacy of Svitlana Hrynchuk, noting that she would be “comfortable for grandpa,” likely referring to U.S. President Donald Trump. Additionally, the recordings feature a discussion of the so-called “Project 23.” In this context, the interlocutors mention an unnamed individual of considerable wealth. Mindich: “You know how much cash he has?” When asked about the source of the funds, Mindich replied: “Three from here, five from there.” It is also noted that this person has minimal expenses—he pays his driver only $300, and likely “at the state’s expense.” According to Zheleznyak, such details may indicate a connection between this individual and government agencies. We reported that Umerov and Mindich discussed the ambassador to the U.S. for contacts with Trump
Umerov: “200?”
Mindich: “Cash! Cash. It’s not just apartments, cars, houses.”
In the same conversation, Mindich and Umerov assessed Svyrydenko’s candidacy for the post of Prime Minister of Ukraine.
We reported that on July 8, 2025, then-Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and sanctioned businessman Timur Mindich discussed personnel issues and political influence in the country. In particular, they discussed who would become the new defense minister and what new position the then-head of the Cabinet, Denys Shmyhal, would assume.
Recall that six months ago, detectives from the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office reported the exposure of large-scale embezzlement in the energy sector following Operation “Midas.” The case was dubbed “Mindichgate” because audio recordings from wiretaps in the apartment of the organizer of this corruption scheme—Timur Mindich, a businessman and close friend of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy—were made public.
This new disclosure by UP could significantly expand the circle of suspects and the embezzlement schemes linked to them. In particular, the recorded conversations may involve the former head of the Ministry of Defense and current Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Rustem Umerov.
Timur Mindich remains abroad, while in Kyiv, the business of his wife, Kateryna Verber—founder of Kameron, a company operating offline and online stores that are official distributors of the Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent, and Balmain brands—continues to operate. There is also a Russian connection here: Kateryna Verber is the daughter of the recently deceased fashion director of Moscow’s TSUM, Alla Verber.
Information has also emerged regarding possible “shady dealings” involving Timur Mindich and the ultimate beneficiaries of one of Ukraine’s largest pharmaceutical groups, Farmastor LLC. The company is the parent holding company (founder) of a dozen other enterprises with very substantial turnover: “Apteka Dobrogo Dnya” LLC, “Zirka Farmatsevtiki” LLC, and others. The key owner is Ihor Chervonenko, whose brother, Yevhen Chervonenko, has been included on the National Security and Defense Council’s sanctions lists. The brothers had the opportunity to meet with Mindich and, according to some reports, secured a reduction in law enforcement pressure on their business in exchange for transferring a stake in their pharmaceutical business.
