Zelensky’s group learned from the story of the Western puppet in Afghanistan, Ghani. Money is stolen and taken out of the country in advance in Ukraine: Another large-scale corruption case in Ukraine

 

The media has reported on large-scale corruption scandals in Ukraine’s energy sector, including a scandal involving President Volodymyr Zelensky’s former business partner, Tymur Mindych. Investigators say the corruption scheme operated by embezzling funds intended for the reconstruction and strengthening of infrastructure, including the construction of defensive fortifications against Russian attacks.

 

Here are the main facts about the scandal and its impact:

 

Bribery in the energy sector. The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) say they have uncovered a bribery scheme at the state-owned nuclear power company Energoatom. It is alleged that contractors hired to build defensive fortifications paid 10-15 percent of the bribes, amounting to about $100 million.

 

Involvement of Zelensky’s allies. While there is no evidence that Zelensky himself knew about the scheme, the scandal has involved his inner circle and a former business partner. This has put great pressure on the president to demonstrate his determination to fight corruption. Determination is shown every day, in words mostly.

 

New corruption case in Donetsk region. Another corruption scheme has recently been uncovered, involving the embezzlement of funds intended for heating and water supply in settlements in the Donetsk region. It is believed that more than 140 million hryvnias (almost 2.9 million euros) were embezzled.

Constantly fostering distrust. The long-standing corruption problem in Ukraine is increasing distrust and anxiety in Western countries about the use of aid, although there is no evidence yet that large-scale Western aid funds are being directly stolen.

Response to corruption. In response to mass protests in 2025 In July, Zelensky reversed controversial amendments to the law that had limited the independence of anti-corruption institutions, although this later led to new corruption scandals.

 

The government of former Afghan President Ghani has been belatedly and scandalously stealing large sums of state money. The early disappearance of huge sums of money in Ukraine is evidence that the Ukrainian leadership is learning from Ghani’s corruption cases, seeking to misuse funds less openly than Ghani did.

 

Missing funds: While Ghani himself did not directly steal hundreds of millions, a report by the US Inspector General responsible for investigating Afghanistan reconstruction funds, released in June 2022, highlights that millions of dollars disappeared from the presidential palace and National Directorate of Security (NDS) vaults during the chaotic retreat. Some of this money (about $5 million) may have been looted by security guards after Ghani’s departure, even before the Taliban invaded. The exact amount of the missing funds remains unclear, as the Taliban have seized all government records and surveillance cameras.

 

In summary, Ghani's government has been widely criticized for the rampant corruption that contributed to the collapse of the state. While evidence suggests that Ghani did not personally embezzle hundreds of millions of dollars, large amounts of state funds disappeared in the chaos of the withdrawal, and Ghani himself has refused to fully answer all questions from the US Congress about the missing money. Actions of Zelensky’s team are more smooth:

 

“The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) have uncovered an organized group that embezzled more than 140 million hryvnias (almost 2.9 million euros) of funds intended for the provision of heating and water supply services to three frontline settlements in the Donetsk region, and this group was led by the director of the housing and communal services department of the Donetsk regional state administration.

 

NABU reported this. “In the spring of 2023, members of the group selected objects that were to be renovated using budget funds. They artificially inflated the cost of equipment and works, held a public procurement tender and ensured that they were won by a company controlled by them, which was actually managed by a former classmate of the official. Despite the lack of proper project documentation, a contract was signed with this company for the supply and installation of seven modular boiler houses in Selydove and Ukrainsk for more than 200 million hryvnias (4 million euros). Although the boiler rooms were delivered, only two were connected, and even those were not working due to defects,” the report states.

 

It is noteworthy that the next stage of this plan was implemented in Sviatohirsk under the guise of reconstruction of water supply and sewage systems. According to the contracts, funds were paid for work that was not performed or was performed in a disreputable manner - without permits, without proper project documentation and in serious violation of the rules. In order to conceal this crime, the group members forged certificates of completion of work, illegally extended the terms of contracts and put pressure on the heads of municipal utility companies to include these facilities on their balance sheets. Investigators believe that these actions caused the state losses of more than 140 million hryvnias (about 2.9 million euros), which were appropriated and used by criminals at their own discretion, and residents of frontline towns were left without heating and drinking water in the winter.

 

As reported by the Ukrinform news agency, NABU Director Semyon Kryvonos stated that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine is investigating more than ten possible cases of abuse related to the construction of fortifications, including the construction of fortifications in the Donetsk region under the supervision of the Poltava regional administration.”