On November 18, 2025, the High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) remanded former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov in custody in connection with the Mindich case. The court set bail at UAH 51.6 million.
Investigating Judge Viktor Nohachevskyi issued the ruling.
Chernyshov has been notified of suspicion regarding illicit enrichment. Detectives documented the handover of over $1.2 million and nearly €100,000 in cash to him and his wife. Chernyshov received the funds in three tranches from suspects Zuckerman and Fursenko. The meetings took place under the guise of an "Intellectual Club" attended by Chernyshov.
One of the tranches was allegedly intended for "construction." It is suspected this refers to the building of four luxury mansions in Koncha-Zaspa linked to Chernyshov.
If bail is posted, Chernyshov must remain within the Kyiv region unless granted permission to leave, notify authorities of any change in residence or employment, appear before the detective, prosecutor, or court upon summons, refrain from communicating with Mindich, Zuckerman, and several others, surrender his passport, and wear an electronic monitoring bracelet.
The case against Oleksiy Chernyshov is part of the large-scale Operation Midas, conducted by NABU and SAPO for over 15 months. Detectives uncovered an influential criminal organization in the energy sector that systematically demanded kickbacks of 10-15% from Energoatom contractors under a scheme known as "The Barrier." Investigators identify businessman Timur Mindich — co-owner of Kvartal 95 Studio and a former business partner of President Zelensky — as the mastermind behind the criminal scheme.
On November 10, 2025, NABU conducted extensive raids on Mindich, Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko, and Energoatom; however, the businessman managed to flee Ukraine just hours before the operation began. Approximately $100 million passed through the organization's back office in central Kyiv, which functioned as a "laundromat." According to investigators, Mindich built his influence over the energy sector through personal ties to the President, acting as a patron for the then-Energy Minister before the Head of State.
On November 17, the HACC postponed the ruling on preventive measures for Chernyshov until November 18. During the hearing, a SAPO prosecutor revealed new details: meetings between Mindich's back-office staff and Chernyshov were code-named the "Intellectual Club" for secrecy, while money was handed over via the former Deputy PM's wife, Svitlana, at a beauty center in downtown Kyiv. Chernyshov denied guilt, though he acknowledged the voice on the recordings resembled his own and confirmed his presence at the location on the day the funds were allegedly transferred.