Key facts
- Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) is conducting an operation targeting an alleged criminal organization.
- The organization is reportedly led by an official from the Prosecutor General's Office.
- The group is accused of protecting fraudulent call centers and laundering illicit assets.
- Operation Midas, an ongoing anti-corruption investigation, concerns alleged bribery in Ukraine's energy sector.
- The scheme allegedly involved controlling procurement at the state-owned company Energoatom and demanding kickbacks.
- NABU has not yet released the identities of the suspects or specific charges.
Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) announced on September 4 that it is conducting an operation targeting an alleged criminal organization led by an official from the Prosecutor General's Office. The group is accused of protecting a network of fraudulent call centers and laundering illicit assets.
This investigation, known as Operation Midas, was launched in 2024 and concerns large-scale bribery in Ukraine's energy sector, particularly involving the state-owned company Energoatom. According to investigators, the scheme involved controlling procurement and systematically demanding kickbacks of 10-15% of contract values. Suppliers who did not comply faced blocked payments or exclusion from contractor lists. The operation has reportedly involved over 70 searches, the seizure of $4 million, and approximately 1,000 hours of audio recordings.
NABU stated that the criminal group began operating after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, exploiting the urgency surrounding defense and energy procurement. The investigation also revealed that a key figure, Ihor Myronyuk, previously served as an assistant to Andriy Derkach, a Ukrainian politician accused of treason. An office linked to Derkach was allegedly used for money laundering through shell companies.
In addition to officials from the Prosecutor General's Office, the operation involves members of parliament and senior officials from the Office of the President. NABU has not yet disclosed the identities of all suspects or the specific legal classifications of the alleged offenses, promising further information releases.