At the center of an investigation by the anti-terrorist service is the former close associate of the president of Volodymyr, Timur Midykh, who shortly before his name became known to be involved in the investigation appears to have disappeared.
Midykh co-owns the Kvartal 95 production company with Zelensky, and has interests in several other business sectors, including energy and media.
The National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) investigation against Midih was reportedly the reason and ultimately led to the Bureau’s independence being restored.
The information about Midih and his “disappearance” came a few days after NABU announced that it was investigating. According to Ukrainian media reports, this investigation is part of a wider case in which Midykh is also involved.
Who is Midh?
Midykh is 46 years old and hails from the city of Dnipro in central Ukraine. He is a film producer and former associate of oligarch Igor Kolomoisky, and is said to have ties to Israel. Midykh celebrated his birthday in Israel in September, returned to Ukraine in mid-October and then went to Israel again, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Midykh is a longtime friend of Zelensky, with whom he co-owned the production company Kvartal 95, until Zelensky transferred his own stake to associates after his election as president in 2019.
Midykh is also a co-owner of Green Family Ltd, a Cypriot company that founded other film production companies in Russia, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
Kolomoisky told Ukrainska Pravda in 2022 that it was Midtikh who had introduced him to Zelensky before he became president.
Middigh visited the Office of the President at least three times in 2020, according to RFE/RL reports at the time. According to what he had reported at the time, he had meetings with Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak.
In 2021, Zelenskiy celebrated his birthday in Midykh’s apartment, according to other media. Later that year, Midtich attended a birthday party hosted by Yermak at the presidential residence.
Political and business influence
Middigh has reportedly expanded his political and business influence in recent years.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, he suggested that Zelensky appoint former deputy prime minister Oleksii Chernysov. Since 2019, when Zelensky took over, Chernysov has held several high-ranking posts — governor of the Kyiv region, minister, head of Naftogaz energy company and later deputy prime minister.
Chernysov was ousted following an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau that resulted in charges of bribery and abuse of power in June 2025.
Midykh’s protégés reportedly include Justice Minister Herman Halushenko, Energy Minister Svitlana Grinchuk and Deputy Agriculture Minister Vitaly Koval, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
Offices and premises linked to Halushenko, who served as energy minister from 2021 to 2025, were also searched by NABU on November 10, according to Kyiv Independent sources.
Corruption cases and business activities
NABU has investigated Midykh’s alleged links to drone manufacturer Fire Point, sources told the Kyiv Independent, citing NABU’s investigation into the company. Fire Point disclaims any such links.
In October, MP Yaroslav Zelezniak from the opposition Holos party published an investigation into Midykh’s alleged activities in the diamond trade in Ukraine and Russia.
Midykh held a stake in the Russian diamond company New Diamond Technology until 2024 — long after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to Zelezniak’s investigation.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on November 6 that it was investigating Midykh on suspicion of aiding the aggressor state, following the Zelezniak investigation.
Zelezniak also claimed in April that NABU is investigating Midykh in a 2 billion hryvnia ($48 million) embezzlement case related to the Odesa Portside Plant fertilizer plant. NABU said it could not comment, while the factory did not respond to requests for comment.
Deep connections with media, energy and banks
Kinokit, a company owned by former Midykh legal adviser Yulia Drozdova, has signed contracts worth more than 350 million hryvnias ($8.5 million) between 2022 and 2024 to produce content for Telemarathon, Ukraine’s wartime state broadcaster.
According to Ukrainska Pravda, Midykh also allegedly has connections to the banking sector, specifically through the nationalized Sense Bank.
Another area where Middigh is said to have interests is energy.
In June, NABU arrested Leonid Midykh’s relative as he attempted to flee abroad, according to Ukrainska Pravda. He was accused of embezzling 16 million euros from the power company Kharkivoblenergo.
