First published by Glavcom.

On August 19, the NABU and the SAPO announced Operation Forrest Gump — the laundering of UAH 150 million that, investigators say, went toward bail for Herman Halushchenko in the Midas case. That bail had already been posted in full on June 29.

The new NABU operation is, in a sense, a continuation of that high-profile investigation — which, incidentally, is still ongoing.

In this piece, we briefly review the preventive measures imposed on the Midas suspects, how they changed, and what investigators allege against each of them.

According to investigators, the two jointly and in coordination ran the organization — setting the rules of secrecy (a ban on using surnames, communication through messaging apps, code names) and distributing funds among the participants. Both left the country before the notices of suspicion were served and have been put on the wanted list.

The HACC issued the following rulings on them:

• December 1, 2025 — detention in absentia for Mindich;
• November 28, 2025 — detention in absentia for Tsukerman.

The conduit for funds from the energy sector to the “office”: according to investigators, the main cash sums passed through him from Fursenko (Tsukerman's trusted associate) to “Karlsson.” Investigators describe both him and Basov as people who controlled the money flows rather than merely carrying out orders.

After the initial measure, the HACC's rulings on Myroniuk changed as follows:

• November 12, 2025 — detention with UAH 126 million bail;
• March 5, 2026 — bail reduced to UAH 100 million;
• March 31, 2026 — the HACC Appeals Chamber raised bail back to UAH 126 million;
• April 29, 2026 — bail reduced to UAH 112 million;
• June 23, 2026 — bail reduced to UAH 85 million.

Myroniuk's bail has still not been posted, so he remains in custody to this day.

Through his post as Energoatom's executive director for physical protection and security, Basov handled both the laundering of funds and the cover function — he was the one responsible for detecting and neutralizing “threats” from oversight bodies. Basov is the second suspect (along with Myroniuk) with operational control over the flows, not merely an executor.

After his measure was set, events unfolded as follows:

• November 12, 2025 — a HACC investigating judge ordered Basov detained with UAH 40 million bail;
• November 26, 2025 — bail posted in full;
• July 10, 2026 — a new suspicion for laundering funds within the “Barrier” scheme.

Tsukerman's trusted associate in the “back office”: he arranged the day-to-day needs of the “office” and personally took part in laundering funds.

For Fursenko:

• November 12, 2025 — measure set: detention with UAH 95 million bail;
• November 24, 2025 — bail posted.

The organization's bookkeeping in the “back office” was divided by function: according to the case file, Ustymenko was assigned to keep the accounts, notably in a file code-named “Manhattan,” while Zorina handled the records of front companies and documents.

For both suspects:

• November 12–13, 2025 — the HACC set measures: detention with bail of UAH 25 million and UAH 12 million;
• November 13, 2025 — UAH 37 million bail was posted for the two of them.

The end recipient of part of the laundered money in the energy episode — according to investigators, the funds were passed to him directly or through his wife. Chernyshov is also a separate suspect in the “Dynasty” episode, over his alleged involvement in laundering presumably criminally obtained funds into the estates in Kozyn.

Chernyshov's path after that suspicion:

• November 18, 2025 — detention with UAH 51.6 million bail;
• November 19, 2025 — bail posted by two private individuals;
• December 1, 2025 — the HACC Appeals Chamber altered the measure, lifting the requirement to surrender his Ukrainian passport;
• May 12, 2026 — a further suspicion, in the episode concerning money laundering in luxury construction;
• July 7, 2026 — the HACC did not extend Chernyshov's obligation to wear an electronic bracelet.

This was not his first preventive measure, however. Even before Midas, in the summer of 2025, the High Anti-Corruption Court set a measure for Oleksii Chernyshov — then Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Unity — in a case involving abuse of official position and receipt of an unlawful benefit. He was set bail of UAH 120 million. Within a few days the bail was posted and the official walked out of the pretrial detention center.

It was after this suspicion that the authorities made their attempt to destroy the independence of the NABU and the SAPO.

In the main episode, he appears not as a direct organizer but as the person whose official clout — as energy minister — Basov and Myroniuk used to pressure Energoatom's counterparties.

Halushchenko's path was turbulent:

• November 19, 2025 — dismissal from the Ministry of Justice;
• February 15, 2026 — Halushchenko was detained while trying to leave Ukraine, and on February 16 he was served a notice of suspicion;
• February 17, 2026 — detention with UAH 200 million bail;
• April 15, 2026 — his measure was extended;
• June 12, 2026 — bail reduced to UAH 150 million;
• June 29, 2026 — bail posted in full.

He is a suspect not in the main energy episode but separately — in the “Dynasty” episode (laundering funds into the construction of luxury estates). Whether Yermak appears on the Operation Midas tapes is not known for certain.

Yermak's path after Operation Midas:

• November 28, 2025 — dismissal from the Office of the President;
• May 14, 2026 — detention with UAH 140 million bail;
• May 18, 2026 — bail posted;
• August 10, 2026 — the HACC eased his procedural obligations.

In the “Dynasty” episode, the High Anti-Corruption Court set measures for four more suspects: Hennadii Opalchuk (UAH 10.6 million bail), Serhii Siranchuk (UAH 20 million bail), Liliia Lysenko (UAH 9.9 million bail), and Maryna Medvedieva (UAH 15 million bail).

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As we can see, the tree of alleged high-level corruption tied to the “Barrier” scheme keeps branching out, as shown by the latest notices of suspicion — notably to Iryna Mudra, Maksym Mykytas, and Viktor Dubovyk.

The details of what the Forrest Gump and Themis suspects did are already being discussed in HACC courtrooms, where preventive measures are being set for the new NABU–SAPO suspects.

Ultimately, these may be far from the last suspicions in these episodes.

Prepared by the Transparency International Ukraine team