New details emerge about Operation Midas: Mindich, Shefir, and Umerov discussed money and defense contracts
The first part of the recorded conversations has been published; according to the publication, these were documented by NABU as part of the “Midas” case. The recordings were made in the apartment of businessman Timur Mindich, who is suspected of involvement in corruption schemes in the energy sector.
The investigation was published by “Ukrainska Pravda.”
The conversations took place in the summer of 2025 in an apartment at 9a Hrushevsky Street in Kyiv. All of them were allegedly conducted in Russian.
Conversation with Shefir: Money for Chernyshov’s Bail
In the first excerpt, Timur Mindich speaks with former First Assistant to the President Serhiy Shefir. They discuss possible sources of funds to post bail for former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, who is suspected of abuse of office and bribery.
During the conversation, Mindich states that Chernyshov “stashed away 6 or 26 (apartments),” while Shefir mentions MPs Yuriy Kisel and Oleksandr Sova, claiming that they allegedly hand over a portion of their income.
“First of all, it’s dishonest—if you’re on the team, then you… with Kisel and Sova, if there’s anything anywhere—here, I said right away: 50%—here,” the publication quotes Shefir as saying.
Conversation with “Natalia”
In another excerpt, Mindich speaks with a woman named Natalia, who discusses construction work. The dialogue mentions, in particular, “Max Donets,” “Shura,” and “Sigismund.”
According to UP, these names may refer to the head of the president’s security detail, businessman Oleksandr Tsukerman, and former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko.
The interlocutors also discuss construction work, landscaping, and the possible “preservation” of the site.
“*** is stupid. If he gets involved in the matter, we’ll be in ***,” the publication quotes Mindich as saying.
Conversation with Umerov: Defense and Contracts
The third excerpt is a conversation between Timur Mindich and then-Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who currently serves as Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.
The interlocutors discuss possible personnel changes in the government, specifically Umerov’s appointment as ambassador to the U.S. and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal’s move to the post of defense minister.
The defense company Fire Point and its long-range weapon systems FP-1, FP-5, and FP-7 are also mentioned. According to investigators, Mindich may be one of the company’s beneficiaries, and the company receives significant contracts from the Ministry of Defense.
Mindich allegedly expresses dissatisfaction with the company’s funding level during the conversation.
Earlier, MP Oleksandr Dubinsky claimed there was a “deal” between anti-corruption agencies (NABU/SAPO) and Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s inner circle, which is allegedly why new transcripts of conversations between Timur Mindich and Rustem Umerov are not being released.
Timur Mindich, a businessman implicated in the NABU case regarding corruption in the energy sector, along with his partner Ihor Khmelov and Ihor Myronyuk—whom NABU identifies as one of the shadow managers behind embezzlement at “Energoatom”—have residential, property, and financial ties in Slovakia. According to the Slovak Commercial Register, Timur Mindich has long been doing business in Slovakia, and his activities are additionally linked to Ihor Khmelov—a Ukrainian entrepreneur whose name appears in the case involving the drone manufacturer Fire Point. In 2017, Mindich joined Blackrock Consulting s.r.o. as a partner; the company had been founded a year earlier by three Russian citizens. On the same day, the firm changed its name to TIM&TIM.; Mindich acquired the company together with his partner, Ukrainian Igor Khmelov, who also registered as an entrepreneur in Slovakia in the same month, the same year, and at the same address as Mindich.
