Ukraine's Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAP) has prepared a new indictment against Dmitri Basov, a former executive of the country's nuclear energy company Energoatom, on money laundering charges. The prosecutor's office alleges that Basov laundered 30 million hryvnia (approximately $675,000) obtained illegally between 2023 and 2025.
According to findings by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU), Basov used the money to purchase two luxury Mercedes-Benz cars (worth over 8 million hryvnia in total), real estate in Ukraine and Bali valued at over 19 million hryvnia, and various luxury goods. He is said to have used cryptocurrency to conceal the source of the funds and registered all assets under a close associate's name.
This charge is part of the wide-ranging 'Midas' corruption investigation in the energy sector. The case caused a major stir in Ukraine because it also implicates President Vladimir Zelensky's closest associates and his former chief of staff. The High Anti-Corruption Court (HACC) had previously ordered Basov's arrest in November 2025 with bail set at 40 million hryvnia; Basov was released on December 25, 2025 after posting bail.
NABU announced last November that it had conducted a large-scale operation targeting the energy sector and shared photos of bags filled with stacks of foreign currency seized during the operation. At the same time, searches were carried out at the office of former Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko and at Energoatom. Ukrainian media reported that Mindich, referred to by the code name 'Karlson' in the investigation, had left the country.
In audio recordings later released by NABU, the suspects were referred to by the code names 'Tenor', 'Roket', and 'Karlson'. According to Ukrainian MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak, 'Tenor' represents Dmitri Basov, 'Roket' represents former minister Halushchenko's advisor Igor Mironyuk, and 'Karlson' represents Mindich.
The new charge from SAP further complicates Basov's legal situation in the 'Midas' investigation, while demonstrating that anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine continue.
