Expanded and supplemented scheme
Tymur Mindich (“Carlson”), the leader of a criminal group that made money from “Energoatom” and then laundered it, involved Oleksandr Zukerman (“Sugarman”) in the scheme.
They had previously had a trusting relationship, and Zukerman himself had experience in the banking sector. Since 1999, he has been a member of the supervisory board of “Starokyivskyi Bank”. After the bank’s bankruptcy, Zukerman was a defendant in numerous lawsuits against the bank until 2020.
It was Zuckerman who came up with code names (nicknames) for other members of the group: for example, Herman Halushchenko became “Sigizmund”, and later — “Professor”; Oleksiy Chernyshov became “Che Guevara”.
Structure of the criminal group
1st level: Mindich and Zukerman.
Tymur Mindich (left) and Oleksandr Zukerman have known each other for a long time and had a trusting relationship. Both fled Ukraine shortly before the searches.
collive.com
2nd level: former advisor to Energy Minister Halushchenko Ihor Myronyuk (“Rocket”), “back office” employees Lesya Ustymenko and Lyudmila Zorina, the organization’s accountant Ihor Fursenko (“Rioshyk”).
The women helped organize money laundering. Ustymenko’s husband has Russian citizenship. Fursenko was arranged to work at “Fire Point” on March 19, 2025, so that he could receive a deferral from mobilization. Fursenko’s lawyer notes that he could have traveled abroad even before mobilization.
3rd level: the Executive Director for Physical Protection and Security of “Energoatom” Dmytro Basov ("Tenor"). He is a former employee of the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office, previously investigated the shootings of the Heavenly Hundred and the economic crimes of the fugitive ex-president Yanukovych. He was subordinate to Myronyuk in the hierarchy. Halushchenko suggested Mindich to involve both Basov and Myronyuk in their scheme.
The one unknown person who "leaked"
The case involves “one of the heads of the Prosecutor’s Office”, who has been part of a criminal organization since October 2025. Prosecutors never named him, only specifying that since October 26, 2025, he had been passing on the facts of the pre-trial investigation in this case.
It can be assumed that this is Andriy Synyuk, the deputy head of SAPO. On Monday, Ukrainska Pravda published video recordings in which Synyuk meets with lawyer Oleksiy Meniv. In turn, he visits the house where Mindich lives.
After the story was published, SAPO reported that its head Oleksandr Klymenko launched an internal investigation on Monday morning, which concerns a possible leak of information from the pre-trial investigation. There were no names.
The Former Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Smirnov told Babel that Synyuk is “leaking” information about the investigation.
Synyuk (right) during a walk and conversation with lawyer Oleksiy Meniv. Previously, Babel was also told that Synyuk constantly goes out to the prosecutorʼs office courtyard and talks to someone on the phone.
Tymur Mindich
It was to Mindichʼs apartment that cash was transferred, which was sent to Zukermanʼs office. There, Mindich also met with influential figures in the state, in particular with ministers. The then Minister of Energy Halushchenko helped Mindich control financial flows in the energy sector.
In return, Halushchenko "received personal benefits in the form of Mindichʼs patronage before the president and the use of services organized by Mindich".
The recordings contain a fragment of Halushchenkoʼs conversation with an unknown person. Only Halushchenkoʼs voice can be heard, saying:
"Hello! Everything is fine! Yes!".
At the selection of preventive measures, the prosecutor says that on the other side is President Volodymyr Zelensky. Mindich and Zukerman were also present during the conversation. They convince the minister to meet with the president. Halushchenko asks:
"And what do I have to do with him?".
Mindich reccomend Halushchenko to say something like this:
“You understand, I donʼt want to work as a janitor. Iʼll do whatever you say, whatever you need. Iʼm yours.”
After that, Halushchenko is going to go to the Presidentʼs Office.
Later that day, Mindich tells Zukerman to hand over his funds to him —Zukerman does, saying that he also has to hand over the construction funds to shut it down. This must be done because the scheme participants are worried that NABU officers might expose them, and “even you [Mindich] won’t help”.
Neither SAPO nor NABU specify which construction is in question, but it can be assumed that it is about elite estates located on 8 hectares in Kozyn, which Bihus.Info journalists associate with Oleksiy Chernyshov.
On the recordings that were released earlier, Mindich had already discussed with an employee of the "office" that the construction should be preserved for a year. Both argued that they had invested a lot of effort and money there.
For another house, but for Mindich, Fursenko and Zukerman transfer money to Switzerland.
“We need three million dollars now, and then three more in a month,” says Zukerman.
Fursenko replies that those who will arrange it do not have personal accounts. On the same day, Zukerman specifies that $3 million must be paid to Switzerland, another million to Israel, and then another three to Switzerland again. On July 1, Fursenko reports that they have transferred one million, and the next day they will transfer another three to Switzerland.
The suspicion, part of which was published by the Telegram channel “Lachen writes”, states that Mindich pressured Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to purchase Israeli bulletproof vests, in which Mindich invested his “300 million”.
Umerov later confirmed that he met with Mindich and talked about bulletproof vests, but the contract was terminated due to the product not meeting the requirements and allegedly “no product was delivered”.
Part of Mindichʼs suspicions, which refers to his pressure on Umerov.
"Che Guevara" Chernyshov
The Former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov used the services of a “laundry”. Money was transferred to him not only in the “back office”, but also in a clinic owned by Oleksandr Zukerman. The clinic is located on Chykalenko Street and is managed by Zukerman’s wife. In total, the transfer of $1.2 million and almost €100 thousand in cash was recorded.
The funniest part of the tapes concerns the recording for February 10, 2025. Zukerman tells an office employee that he has to give Chernyshov 300 thousand, and adds:
“I just don’t want to give beautiful ones, I want — if they appear — ugly ones.” This concerns old and new bills.
The records show that many people used the "laundry". When asked who else would come to the "back office", Zukerman replies:
"It is ʼChe Guevaraʼ, thatʼs clear. ʼElektronik” [unidentified], maybe ʼSeryozha-the-Judgeʼ [unidentified], and some Pole."
Chernyshov himself came to the office to get the money. Zukerman gave him money in dollars and euros, saying that that was all there was. From the conversations, it is clear that Mindich directly controls the disbursement of money to Chernyshov.
“Tymur asks to give him 500,” Zuckerman tells Fursenko in March 2025.
Two months later, on May 8, Zukerman speaks to Fursenko and says that they should give Chernyshov “500 and with khachapuri”, and asks not to delay. What is “khachapuri”? It is unclear.
On May 9, 2025, the last $500 000 is already transferred to Chernyshov’s wife in Zukerman’s hospital. At that time, Chernyshov was already a suspect in the proceedings of NABU and SAPO.
About Halushchenko and Derkach
During the election of a preventive measure for Myronyuk, the prosecutor cited his conversation with Zukerman about the relationship between Halushchenko and the former MP from the “OPZZh”, and now a trai tor, Andriy Derkach, who fled to Russia. Myronyuk says that Halushchenko was familiar with Derkach, they sometimes met.
"When Halushchenko was appointed to ʼEnergoatomʼ, Derkach invited him to talk about how everything works. I warned him not to go, but Halushchenko went... Therefore, he is a person within Derkachʼs circle," the prosecutor quoted Myronyuk.
Traitor and current Russian senator Andriy Derkach (pictured right) was president of “Energoatom” in 2006-2007.
What is happening in the case now?
The Cabinet of Ministers suspended Halushchenko and his successor at the Ministry of Energy Svitlana Hrynchuk. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that they should resign. Hrynchuk has already written a statement.
The National Security and Defense Council may impose sanctions on Mindich himself. In three full days, the Supreme Court of Ukraine has chosen preventive measures for four defendants.
- Myronyuk — 60 days in custody or bail of UAH 126 million.
- Fursenko — 60 days or bail of UAH 95 million.
- Basov — 60 days in custody or bail of UAH 40 million.
- Ustymenko — 60 days in custody or bail of UAH 25 million.
On the evening of November 12, the government suspended the vice president and member of the board of “Energoatom” Jakob Hartmut. It also instructed the acting chairman of the board to suspend the chief advisor to the president of “Energoatom” Dmytro Basov.
In the near future, the court is expected to impose a preventive measure on Chernyshov.
The court set the largest bail for Ihor Myronyuk — UAH 126 million. The court also chose a preventive measure in the form of detention for Dmytro Basov, but the bail was slightly lower — 40 million.
Скриншот трансляції «Суспільне Новини» / YouTube