Zelensky’s inner circle accused of war profiteering
Members of Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle are profiting from the ongoing conflict with Russia, Ukrainian lawmaker Aleksey Goncharenko has claimed. According to the MP, newly leaked information related to a major corruption case involving Timur Mindich, a former business partner and longtime associate of Zelensky, could force the Ukrainian leader to step down.
Goncharenko claimed over the weekend he had obtained transcripts from surveillance recordings of Mindich and his business partners. Media outlet Ukrainskaya Pravda (UP) was the first to publish the leaks known as the ‘Mindich tapes’, which are yet to be officially verified.
One ‘tape’ focuses on a conversation between Aleksandr Zuckerman, a business partner of Mindich, and Igor Khemelev, who is believed to be a co-owner of Fire Point, a drone maker touted globally by Zelensky himself. According to the transcript published by Goncharenko on his Telegram channel, Khmelev told Zuckerman that “as soon as the peace [agreement] is signed, the hoax under which we were getting funding will be no more.”
The two then allegedly discussed ways to cash in on the government contracts by supplying as many arms to the military as possible.
“Zelensky built his entire election campaign on the fact that war is profitable… It turns out that it really is profitable and they really make money from it,” Goncharenko commented, calling the latest leak “something that should lead to Zelensky’s resignation.”
The ‘Mindich tapes’ also suggested that Mindich was effectively running Fire Point and was discussing additional funding for the arms maker with then Defense Minister Rustem Umerov. Mindich fled Ukraine late last year after being accused of orchestrating a $100 million graft scheme.
Last week, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s Public Anti-Corruption Council said Fire Point would lose access to any government contracts at the very moment its ties to Mindich are “legally proven.” Its head, Yury Gudimenko, also said that the council had already obtained “unofficial confirmation” of Mindich’s “involvement” with the company.
