One of President Volodymyr Zelensky's closest associates, businessman and co-owner of the Kvartal 95 studio, Timur Mindich, may become a subject of an investigation by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Ukrainska Pravda reports, citing its own sources.
According to journalists, the case may relate to corruption schemes at the Odessa Port Plant (OPZ), informal control over which, even before the full-scale war, passed from another co-owner of "Quarter 95", Serhiy Shefir, to Mindich.
In April 2023, NABU put suspects in the embezzlement of funds from the OPP on the wanted list. Among them is Oleksandr Gorbunenko, who fled to the United States a few days before the Russian invasion and received temporary refugee status there.
After NABU appealed to the American side, criminal proceedings were opened against Gorbunenko in April 2025. He was detained while trying to fly to Dubai. Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities tried to establish contact with the suspect for questioning.
During Gorbunenko's communication with representatives of American law enforcement agencies, questions were raised about Timur Mindich. After that, according to sources, the FBI unexpectedly took Gorbunenko under its protection, freeing him from punishment. This may indicate his cooperation with the American investigation.
"Gorbunenko could have been involved in money laundering, like other participants in the OPP scheme. Therefore, he may be of interest to federal agents not only in the context of Mindich, but also other influential figures in financial schemes," said one of the representatives of Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.
If the information is confirmed, Mindich could become a key link in an international investigation into money laundering through Ukrainian state assets.
