All news on the topic: Operation Midas

What has scandal-plagued Ukrainian billionaire Dmytro Kovalenko, described in wiretaps as the “businessman with the Mona Lisa smile”, kept hidden over the years? And what role did Lviv crime boss Vova Liutyi, known as Vova Morda, play in building Kovalenko’s sprawling business empire?

Ukrainian anti-corruption prosecutors have sent a former executive at the state nuclear operator to trial on charges of demanding more than $147,000 in kickbacks from private contractors, law enforcement officials announced Tuesday.

Ukraine has continued to pursue high-level corruption cases even as Russia’s full-scale invasion grinds through its fifth year. The aggressive push reflects not only domestic pressure, but Kyiv’s need to prove to the EU, NATO, and Western donors that wartime aid and future reconstruction funds can be protected.

On May 11, Andriy Yermak was served with a notice of suspicion, and on May 14, a court placed him in custody