The information that the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine has been wiretapping the people's deputy from the "Servant of the People" Yuriy Kisel for more than two years opens a new page in the internal relations of the ruling groups. According to sources in law enforcement agencies, the hidden equipment was dismantled only recently, and the people's deputy himself had no idea about its existence. This episode caused significant tension in the circle of people closest to Kisel, in particular, his long-time friend Serhiy Shefir.
Sources note that during the operation of the equipment, dozens of meetings and conversations took place between Kisel and Shefir, including with other representatives of power circles. A significant part of these contacts was of a confidential and politically sensitive nature, which makes the results of the wiretapping potentially important for several investigations conducted by the NABU. At the same time, it is emphasized that the surveillance of the people's deputy was not part of Operation Midas, but also concerned corruption at the highest echelons of power.
The context of Kisel's closeness to the president's entourage is well known. His assistant is Mykyta Shefir, the son of Serhiy Shefir, a long-time associate of Volodymyr Zelensky. Kisel's family is also connected with the high-profile story of the sale of real estate in Ivankovychy, where the president himself previously had an estate. Zelensky has publicly emphasized that he cannot transfer this real estate to random people, because his closest friends live nearby. This indirectly confirms Kisel's special status in the circle of trust of the former first assistant to the president.
Serhiy Shefir has himself been the focus of anti-corruption investigations in recent years. He is involved in a case involving schemes in the energy sector, known as the "Mindich tapes." The SAPO released in court recordings of his conversations with businessman Timur Mindich regarding raising funds for the bail of suspected former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov and possible "kickbacks" from government contracts. Separate episodes also link him to alleged abuses at the Odessa Port Plant.
The wiretapping of Yuriy Kisel in this context creates a new intrigue. It is unknown what information the detectives collected and how it can be used in the current proceedings. So far, no comments have been received from NABU or SAPO.
It is obvious that the revealed facts are becoming a serious challenge for several influential groups in power, and the possible content of the recorded conversations could significantly change the course of domestic political processes.
