Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko took to social media on November 20 to warn of a potential crackdown on internal dissent by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
According to Goncharenko, the administration is considering a scenario in which Servant of the People faction leader David Arakhamia is scapegoated for the current crisis. This would reportedly be followed by legal persecution, potential sanctions, and his removal from the faction's leadership.
Zelensky is scheduled to meet with the faction on November 20 at 8:00 p.m.
A day earlier, on November 19, Arakhamia released his own statement. He noted that the Verkhovna Rada had dismissed compromised government officials and expressed gratitude to all factions for unblocking the parliament's work.
"We support the effective actions of NABU, SAPO, and the entire anti-corruption infrastructure in the fight against graft. Our position remains unchanged: the guilty must face punishment regardless of status or position," Arakhamia wrote.
Regarding political commentary, he clarified that while certain faction members had voiced their personal views on the situation in parliament, these statements represented individual opinions rather than the official stance of the faction or party.
The Timur Mindich case, dubbed "Operation Midas," has emerged as the most significant political challenge for President Zelensky six and a half years into his tenure. NABU is investigating the alleged embezzlement of approximately $100 million in the energy and defense sectors, with the Kvartal-95 co-owner, a former business partner of the president with access to top officials, at the center of the scandal. Investigators believe Mindich controlled financial flows in the gas and energy sectors through former Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko, utilizing a scheme that demanded 10-15% kickbacks for anyone seeking to do business with Energoatom.
The political fallout has been devastating for the ruling team. A "coalition of the resolute" has formed within the Verkhovna Rada, demanding the resignation of Presidential Office Head Andriy Yermak. The parliament is demoralized, and the administration is struggling to find replacements for the ministers of energy and justice due to the toxic public atmosphere. Former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov hastily departed for Turkey and subsequently the United States, sparking betting pools in political circles over whether he will ever return to Ukraine.
Experts view the Mindich affair as symptomatic of deeper systemic issues rather than a simple anti-corruption drive. Energy expert Viktor Kurtev argues that what is portrayed as an anti-corruption campaign is actually a "war of clans," in which rival influence groups weaponize state institutions for their own gain, while Western aid is "skimmed" through inflated prices for equipment and services before it even enters the country.
