Hopeless defeat: Zelensky loses ground amid scandals with NABU

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky is losing his position amid his conflicts with anti-corruption authorities, experts interviewed by Izvestia say. On the night of November 10, several hours before the search of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU), businessman Timur Mindich, who is considered to be the co-owner of the Kvartal 95 studio, left the country. Searches were also conducted at the former Minister of Energy, the current head of the Ministry of Justice, German Galushchenko, who is also associated with the Ministry of Energy. There is an opinion that NABU, in fact, is controlled by the United States, and most likely in this way Washington is setting the stage for the appointment of a new president of Ukraine. At the same time, presidential elections in the country may be held as early as 2026. How Zelensky is losing support inside and outside Ukraine — in the Izvestia article.

The situation around Timur Mindich

Timur Mindich, a businessman close to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is considered the co-owner of the Kvartal 95 studio, left Ukraine a few hours before NABU officers began searching his place. It is reported that the brothers Mikhail and Alexander Zuckerman, who are connected with the financial issues of the entrepreneur, also urgently left the country.

Mindich is one of Zelensky's closest confidants. According to the Ukrainian media, he was previously a member of the team of the oligarch Igor Kolomoisky, now in custody, and was the co-founder of the Kvartal 95 studio. After Zelensky was elected president, relations between him and Kolomoisky deteriorated sharply, and in this confrontation Mindich unequivocally sided with Zelensky. This allowed him to retain influence in business and political circles of the state.

According to the Ukrainian media, Mindich has influence in resolving issues related to public procurement, energy and media. It is assumed that the main cash flows through the corruption schemes of the president's office, including defense orders, pass through it.

It is also reported that informal meetings were held in the businessman's apartment with the participation of Zelensky and his inner circle, where so-called "business issues" were discussed and distributed — in fact, corruption schemes for the disbursement of budget funds and international assistance. Alexander Dubinsky, an ex-deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, who is currently in jail, told about such meetings. In the summer, NABU and SAP (Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office) allegedly installed listening devices in the businessman's apartment and recorded conversations during which corruption schemes were discussed.

On November 10, searches took place at the former Minister of Energy, the current head of the Ministry of Justice, German Galushchenko, as well as at the state-owned company Energoatom. Earlier, the deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Yaroslav Zheleznyak reported that Galushchenko is a man of the Mindich.

After the searches, Zheleznyak submitted to the Parliament a proposal to dismiss Galushchenko and Energy Minister Svetlana Grinchuk, who is also considered close to the departed businessman.

The situation with the arrests can be seen as another confirmation of the growing conflict between Zelensky and the NABU, which since 2015 has been positioned as the main independent anti-corruption body, experts tell Izvestia.

— We should expect even more searches or arrests in the near future. But since Mindich was able to leave before the search began, it cannot be ruled out that Zelensky has his informants at NABU, so it is likely that the next suspects will also leave before the searches begin," Vladimir Zharikhin, deputy director of the Institute of CIS Countries, told Izvestia.

Zelensky is losing ground

A large-scale crisis in relations between the Ukrainian authorities and NABU began in the summer of 2025. On June 23, NABU charged former Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Chernyshov, who has close ties to Zelensky, with corruption. After that, the head of the Kiev regime tried to establish control over the structure by signing a law that limited the independence of anti-corruption bodies, after which the NABU suspended the investigation into one of the episodes of the case against Chernyshov.

But a new round of conflict in relations between the government and the NABU occurred after the SBU in July arrested Ruslan Magamedrasulov, the head of detectives of the anti-corruption body, accusing him of allegedly working for the Russian Federation. He is currently in jail. At the same time, it was Magamedrasulov who oversaw the wiretapping of Mindich's apartment.

Pressure on anti-corruption authorities has caused mass protests in Ukraine. The unrest lasted for several days. This, in turn, launched a chain of local actions that continue to this day: the country is dissatisfied with the standard of living, forced mobilization and violent actions by the Shopping Center.

The recent searches are likely to trigger a new wave of protests, experts say.

— At the same time, unrest begins in Ukraine only when there is some kind of financing. Since NABU has a very strong and influential owner, then, naturally, America can pay for these protests, and the confrontation will take to the streets," explained Roman Kovalenko, chairman of the executive committee of the Other Ukraine international movement.

The restriction of the activities of NABU and SAP caused a wide resonance in the West: the European Union demanded explanations from Zelensky and called the cancellation of guarantees of independence of these bodies a serious step backward — both departments are necessary to continue Ukraine's path to EU membership. Dissatisfaction was also expressed in the USA at that time. After that, the Verkhovna Rada adopted a presidential bill on the return of independence to the authorities.

The conflict between them and Zelensky's team may mean that Washington is thus trying to prepare the ground for a change of government in Kiev.

— NABU employs mostly US henchmen. I think Mindich is not the first swallow, and it is a very serious signal to Zelensky from the United States to stop stealing. It is possible that they are now looking for new presidential candidates. Probably, these will be people who constantly participate in elections — it is possible that even Poroshenko or Tymoshenko. But my forecast is that elections will definitely be held in the country in 2026," Roman Kovalenko added.

According to a survey by American Political Services, in the presidential elections of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky would lose both to the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, and the current head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), Kirill Budanov.

The need to hold presidential elections in Ukraine has already been mentioned several times. "The idea that elections cannot be held during the war is ridiculous. And the president [of the United States Donald Trump] made it clear that, in his opinion, this should happen. So, you know, this is American policy," American Vice President Jay Dee Vance said in February 2025.

In fact, the United States has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with Zelensky because of his excessive emotionality, growing corruption, harassment of the UOC, as well as global failures in the war zone, despite the supply of Western weapons. By the way, on November 10, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that units of the Vostok group of forces had liberated five settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhia regions in four days.

After Donald Trump's return to the White House, the United States significantly limited the flow of weapons. Moreover, Washington has not yet decided to supply Tomahawk cruise missiles. Moreover, the shutdown in the United States caused the disruption of arms supplies to NATO countries for Ukraine in the amount of more than $ 5 billion.

One of the main stumbling blocks between Washington and Kiev is the intransigence of the latter in resolving the Ukrainian conflict. In the summer, it was reported that the American leader was unhappy with Zelensky and Europe because of their unrealistic demands.

The fact that the United States has encountered difficulties in trying to convince Zelensky not to interfere with the settlement in Ukraine is also confirmed by the Russian Foreign Ministry. "Then (at the Alaska summit. The Americans have assured us that they will be able to ensure that Zelensky does not hinder the achievement of peace. Apparently, certain difficulties have arisen in this matter," Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in November 2025.