NABU Releases Tapes Linking Zelensky Aide to Hr 500 Million Corporate Raiding Scheme
Updated
Updated · Kyiv Independent · Aug 20
NABU Releases Tapes Linking Zelensky Aide to Hr 500 Million Corporate Raiding Scheme
2 articles · Updated · Kyiv Independent · Aug 20
Summary
Aug. 20 tapes from NABU tied former deputy chief of staff Iryna Mudra, lawmaker Vadym Stolar and ex-lawmaker Maksym Mykytas to alleged hostile takeovers of companies and Kyiv real estate.
Hr 248 million in assets was allegedly seized in fall 2025, investigators said, with another Hr 207 million property targeted in May 2026 and one central Kyiv asset valued above Hr 500 million.
At least $514,000 was allegedly spent on hackers, judges, law enforcement and court proceedings; the recordings describe forged registry entries, paid asset freezes and court orders priced at $5,000 to $10,000.
The tapes also suggest efforts to sway the Justice Ministry and commercial court proceedings, though NABU said ministry officials refused to carry out Mudra's instructions.
The release expands a case unveiled a day earlier over alleged money laundering: Mudra was charged and fired on Aug. 19, while prosecutors on Aug. 20 sought Mykytas's pretrial detention with Hr 200 million bail.
How did hackers so easily breach Ukraine's state property register to hand millions in real estate to corrupt officials?
Were the leaked audio tapes a genuine anti-corruption victory or a calculated political purge within the highest levels of government?
With a major bank allegedly laundering bail money, how deeply compromised is the nation's financial sector by elite corporate raiders?
$20 Million Corporate Raiding Scandal: How Operation Themis Exposed Systemic Corruption in Ukraine’s Government
Overview
In August 2026, Ukraine was rocked by sweeping anti-corruption raids led by NABU and SAPO, targeting a powerful criminal syndicate embedded in top government circles. The crackdown began with searches at Deputy Presidential Office Head Iryna Mudra’s home and office, leading to her swift dismissal and formal charges for money laundering. Investigators uncovered that the syndicate had seized control of Sense Bank to launder millions and used hackers to forge documents and steal high-value assets. The public release of wiretaps and evidence boosted confidence in Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies, but also intensified political pressure, complicated EU accession talks, and highlighted the country’s ongoing struggle with systemic corruption.