A new corruption scandal that reaches deep into Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s inner circle is now unfolding. According to leaked indictment documents, a person who can be identified as the president’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, allegedly participated in laundering the equivalent of tens of millions of kronor to pay bail for a former minister. These revelations come as several former ministers and Zelenskyy’s former chief of staff have already been implicated in Ukraine’s largest corruption investigation during his presidency.

The revelations are based on a leaked version of the indictment against Iryna Mudra, former deputy head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office. The document was published by the Ukrainian investigative site Bihus.info and is cited by Kyiv Independent. Budanov has been described as “Zelenskyy’s right hand” and has a high-ranking background in the military and Ukrainian intelligence services.

Budanov is not explicitly named in the leaked document. However, the person described is reported to be a high-ranking official in the Presidential Office and Mudra’s superior—a description that, according to Kyiv Independent, clearly points to Kyrylo Budanov.

According to the newspaper, suspicions are strengthened by previously leaked transcripts from wiretaps carried out by Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU). These include recurring references to “Kyrylo,” “Kyrylo Oleksiyovych,” Mudra’s boss, and a high-ranking figure in the Presidential Office. In other transcripts, Budanov’s surname also appears.

Money Laundering to Pay Minister’s Bail

At the center stands former energy and justice minister Herman Halushchenko, who was indicted in February for money laundering and involvement in a criminal organization as part of the large-scale Energoatom investigation. Investigators suspect, among other things, a system where suppliers to the state nuclear energy company were forced to pay commissions of about 10–15 percent to retain their contracts and have their invoices paid.

When Halushchenko was detained, his bail was set at 200 million hryvnia. In the new investigation, Mudra, former MP Maksym Mykytas, and others are accused of laundering 150 million hryvnia—about $3.4 million—via the state-owned Sense Bank to finance a large portion of the bail amount.

The newly leaked indictment document states that, on June 9, Mudra received an offer from a high-ranking official in the Presidential Office to assist in converting cash suspected of being criminal proceeds into legitimate bank funds. The money would be routed through accounts belonging to controlled companies and then deposited with Ukraine’s Specialized Anti-Corruption Court as bail for Halushchenko.

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Prosecutors claim that Mudra accepted because she was in an administrative and financial position of dependency to the high-ranking official and wanted to strengthen her standing with him.

Zelenskyy Associate Allegedly Delivered the Cash

Businessman Timur Mindich—a former business partner and close associate of Zelenskyy—also reappears in the investigation. Last year, Mindich was named as the suspected ringleader behind the Energoatom scheme.

He has since left Ukraine and is now in Israel. NABU has previously stated that the network established a vast system of bribery and money laundering centered around state-owned companies.

According to the new offense description, in early June Mindich contacted a high-ranking official in the Presidential Office and asked for help to have Halushchenko released by securing his bail payment. During a court hearing in August, a prosecutor also stated that a member of the suspected criminal group located in Israel had handed over cash for the bail—a description believed to refer to Mindich.

In previously published interception transcripts, Mykytas says that Mindich personally handed over money to “Kyrylo Oleksiyovych.” The name and patronymic match Kyrylo Budanov.

Allegations of Control over State Bank

The scandal is not only about the bail money. According to Kyiv Independent, the investigative material also paints a picture of people close to the Presidential Office attempting to gain informal control over the state-owned Sense Bank.

Wiretaps suggest that Mindich, after his position weakened following his flight to Israel, asked “Kyrylo” to take over control of the bank. In a recorded conversation, Mudra reportedly said that the bank’s management was willing to follow “Kyrylo’s” instructions and move money as he requested.

The leaked offense description also states that, on June 10, Mudra and an official from the Presidential Office met with then-CEO of Sense Bank Oleksiy Stupak and chairman Mykola Hladyshchenko.

After the meeting, the bank executives supposedly agreed to continue operating under informal control from the Presidential Office and Mudra. Mindich, who had previously acted as the bank’s informal overseer, was now abroad and could no longer personally maintain the same level of control.

On June 22, 50 million hryvnia in cash was reportedly delivered to the offices of the construction company Metrobud in a black Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. According to the indictment, the transport was carried out on instruction and under supervision from Mudra and the high-ranking official in the Presidential Office.

Property Grabs and Intimidation Tactics Also Under Investigation

The investigation has another branch. Mudra, Mykytas, and MP Vadym Stolar are also accused of illegally attempting to seize properties by manipulating company registers, forging documents, and influencing officials in the Ministry of Justice, as well as judges and prosecutors.

According to the leaked material, Mudra was to use her influence over Deputy Justice Minister Olena Ferens, who oversaw the office that combats illegal corporate and property takeovers, if necessary.

Mudra and Mykytas also reportedly discussed ways to pressure Ferens with threats of dismissal or the publication of compromising information in media outlets they believed they could influence.

The head of the Ministry of Justice’s so-called Anti-Raiding Office, however, reportedly refused to follow instructions after discovering that the documents in question were forged. According to the investigation, Mudra then initiated efforts to have him dismissed.

The Chief of Staff Belongs to the President’s Innermost Circle

Kyrylo Budanov’s position makes the allegations particularly politically sensitive. The head of the Presidential Office is not just a regular administrative staff function but one of the individuals closest to the president, wielding significant influence over the coordination of political power.

Budanov’s predecessor, Andriy Yermak, was repeatedly described as Zelenskyy’s closest associate and effectively his right-hand man. During Yermak’s tenure, the Presidential Office’s influence over the government, parliament, and other state institutions grew dramatically, according to Kyiv Independent.

Budanov has not yet been indicted in the current case. When asked in August about his name appearing in the wiretaps, he referred to the court process.

“Let the court sort it out. You know, my name comes up in many places,” he said according to Hromadske.

Kyiv Independent reports that the newspaper has reached out to Budanov, the Presidential Office, and Mudra for comment. NABU has declined to comment on the new revelations.

Yet Another Scandal Close to Zelenskyy

The new revelations come after a series of corruption cases reaching high into Ukraine’s leadership. The Energoatom investigation, which exploded in autumn 2025, involves an alleged bribery and money laundering scheme of about $100 million, according to investigators. Timur Mindich, who was previously a co-owner with Zelenskyy in the production company Kvartal 95, has been identified as a central organizer.

The scandal led, in November last year, both Justice Minister Herman Halushchenko (who previously served as energy minister) and then-Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk to leave the government upon Zelenskyy’s request. Halushchenko was later charged with money laundering and involvement in a criminal organization, among other things.

Zelenskyy’s then-chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, was also implicated. NABU conducted searches at his home in November 2025, after which he resigned. In May this year, Yermak was charged with money laundering in a related investigation into an exclusive residential area outside Kyiv. Investigators allege that about 460 million hryvnia—nearly $9 million—were laundered through the project and that one of the luxury houses was intended for Yermak. He denies all allegations.

Yermak was later released on bail of 140 million hryvnia. As recently as September 15, a Ukrainian court further eased restrictions on him, ruling that he no longer needed to wear an electronic ankle monitor.

Now, attention is turning towards his successor. This does not mean that Budanov has been convicted or even formally charged. But if Kyiv Independent and the Ukrainian media’s identification is correct, it would mean that even Zelenskyy’s current chief of staff is mentioned at the highest level in investigation materials regarding a corruption scandal that has already reached several people in the president’s innermost political circle.