Ukrainska Pravda publishes fragments of conversations between Mindich and former presidential advisor Shefir and then-Defense Minister Umerov
The Ukrainska Pravda (UP) publication has released fragments of conversations involving businessman Timur Mindich with former presidential advisor Serhiy Shefir and former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, currently Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC). These recordings were documented by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) as part of an operation codenamed Midas. According to the editorial office, these materials have been officially attached to a criminal proceeding that currently includes more than ten suspects.
The video report details three specific conversations, including a discussion between Mindich and former presidential advisor Serhiy Shefir, likely concerning bail for former Vice Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov. A second conversation occurred between Mindich and an unidentified woman named Natalia regarding the construction of four houses, presumably for the Dynastiya cooperative, intended for Mindich, Chernyshov, Andriy, and Volodymyr. A third conversation involved Mindich and then-Defense Minister Rustem Umerov regarding the potential procurement of Fire Point products and body armor, as well as Umerov’s possible appointment as Ambassador to the United States.
Journalist Mykhailo Tkach noted that the individual named Masha mentioned in the conversation between Mindich and Umerov is likely not volunteer Mariia Berlinska, but rather Mariia Vasylivna Dotsenko, an advisor to the Director General of the JSC National Investment Fund of Ukraine on strategic partnerships with Middle Eastern countries. According to Tkach, Umerov’s press service declined to comment on the recordings, while Mindich told UP he would be ready to comment after being questioned by NABU and dismissed information regarding Fire Point as an attempt to discredit a top Ukrainian company.
As previously reported, on November 10, 2025, NABU and SAPO announced a large-scale operation to expose corruption in the energy sector titled Midas. Investigators documented a high-level criminal organization that established a massive corruption scheme to influence strategic state enterprises, specifically Energoatom, which confirmed that investigative actions took place at the company on that day. Participants in the Midas scheme identified by NABU include National Energy Regulator (NEURC) member Serhiy Pushkar, businessman Timur Mindich, former Energoatom executive director for physical protection and security Dmytro Basov, and Ihor Myroniuk, a former advisor to the energy minister and former deputy head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine (SPFU). Mindich left Ukraine on November 10 a few hours before the searches, and the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine stated that his departure was conducted on legal grounds.
