Wiretap found in home of Ukrainian detective probing Mindich case Security Service is behind?

A listening device has been discovered in the home of a detective from Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) who is leading an investigation into the Mindich case, according to Oleksandr Abakumov, head of NABU’s detective unit.

Abakumov made the statement during a meeting of a parliamentary committee, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Politika Strany Telegram channel. 

The detective is also overseeing an investigation involving a well-known drone manufacturer.

“We clearly understand who installed the surveillance device. And this will receive an appropriate legal assessment,” Abakumov said.

Oleksandr Klymenko, head of the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO), indicated that the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) is suspected. “Our version is that this equipment belongs to a law enforcement agency. And it was installed without proper authorization,” he stated.

SBU representatives had also been invited to attend the committee meeting but did not appear.

The Mindich case, also known as Operation Midas, is Ukraine's largest wartime corruption scandal, uncovered by NABU and SAPO following a 15-month investigation that included over 1,000 hours of secret audio recordings and more than 70 searches. Launched in 2024 and publicly revealed in November 2025, it centres on an alleged high-level criminal scheme involving embezzlement, kickbacks, and money laundering of at least $100 million (with some estimates higher) from state contracts, primarily at Ukraine's nuclear energy operator Energoatom.

By Khagan Isayev