Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office has officially sent Israel a request for the extradition of two suspects in the high-profile “Midas” corruption case – businessmen Timur Mindich and Oleksandr Tsukerman.
Prosecutor General’s Office spokesperson Mariana Haiovska-Kovbasiuk told Ukrainska Pravda that the request was forwarded to Israel’s Ministry of Justice after a series of procedural issues were resolved.
According to her, the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) initially submitted the extradition materials, but prosecutors identified a number of technical and procedural deficiencies during review. The documents were then revised and supplemented in coordination with NABU.
Authorities said the case file was significantly expanded during the process, with 24 volumes of materials reviewed, updated, and translated before the final request was sent.
“After the final elimination of shortcomings and errors, the extradition request was sent to the Ministry of Justice of the State of Israel,” Haiovska-Kovbasiuk said.
The move marks a key procedural step in Ukraine’s attempt to bring the two suspects back to face charges in Kyiv.
Earlier, NABU lead investigator Oleksandr Abakumov said in an interview with the YouTube channel Ye Pytannia (“There Is a Question”) that the agency had transferred the necessary documents to the Prosecutor General’s Office two weeks earlier for approval of the extradition request.
He also noted that extradition from Israel is legally complex and typically requires extensive documentation, often including nearly the full body of the criminal case file.
Case background
The “Midas” case is a large-scale money-laundering scheme allegedly orchestrated by Timur Mindich, a Ukrainian businessman and media producer widely reported to have longstanding ties to President Volodymyr Zelensky dating back to their work in the entertainment industry.
Oleksandr Tsukerman, his alleged business partner, is believed to have been involved in managing financial operations linked to the scheme, though investigators have disclosed fewer public details about his role.
Authorities allege the group operated a $100 million kickback scheme at state nuclear operator Energoatom, siphoning off funds in a case that has sparked public outrage – particularly as it comes amid ongoing power shortages caused by Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
The “Midas” case is among the most high-profile corruption investigations currently pursued by Ukraine’s anti-graft agencies, with authorities seeking the suspects’ return to stand trial.