NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors exposed a criminal organization of high-ranking officials that included a current and a former Member of Parliament of Ukraine, senior officials of the Presidential Office of Ukraine, and others.

According to the investigation, the purpose of creating and operating the criminal group was to seize real estate, as well as other assets of legal entities, through unauthorized interference with the registers of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, the forgery of court decisions and ownership documents, and the like.

The criminal organization's activities covered two key episodes, investigated as part of the special operations Themis (business takeover) and Forrest Gump (laundering of criminal proceeds).

According to the investigation, the criminal group included:

● Iryna Mudra, former Deputy Head of the Presidential Office of Ukraine;

● Viktor Dubovyk, Director General of the Directorate for Legal Policy of the Presidential Office;

● MP Vadym Stolar;

● Maksym Mykytas, former MP;

● Valentyn Yelizarov, the actual head of the Metrobud;

● Oleksii Stupak, Chairman of the Board of JSC Sense Bank;

● Mykola Hladyshenko, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of JSC Sense Bank;

● Vasyl Astion, former deputy of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council.

Separately, the criminal organization enlisted individuals who were not its members: Mykyta Tarkovskyi, head of a number of enterprises controlled by Mykytas; Yehor Mierkulov, Mykytas's driver; and the former MP's bodyguard, Oleksandr Ostapenko. All of them were nominal directors of LLCs.

According to the investigation, to achieve their goal, the group members used threats, pressure, and bribery, and also practiced an “exchange of favors” with judges at all levels, senior officials of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, and law enforcement officers.

Operation Themis: seizing enterprises, hacking, and bribing judges

Asset seizures and hacking breaches:

The investigation reported that it had uncovered the raider seizure by members of the criminal organization of two enterprises — Philosophy Development and BMS — whose assets were worth a combined UAH 248 million.

For the unlawful takeover, hackers were engaged using Stolar's funds; posing as state registrars, they re-registered the corporate rights.

Attempted seizure of real estate in Kyiv:

Also, according to the investigation, in the fall of 2025 the individuals in the case were preparing to seize real estate in Kyiv worth over UAH 207 million in total.

The scheme was carried out through pressure on the Ministry of Justice and artificial bankruptcies in the Commercial Court.

The plan was not carried through, because Ministry of Justice officials refused at the last moment to sign knowingly unlawful orders.

Preparations for an abduction:

In addition, while documenting the criminal organization's activities, law enforcement uncovered preparations for the abduction and unlawful deprivation of liberty of a person. The aim of the crime was to forcibly establish control over a business entity, but the NABU and the SAPO prevented it in time.

Operation Forrest Gump: laundering UAH 150 million in slush-fund cash for bail in the Midas case

According to the investigation, the scheme's purpose was to launder UAH 150 million that had been accumulated through raiding and corruption schemes. The money was needed in June 2026 to post bail for a suspect in the Midas case — reportedly Herman Halushchenko, the former Justice Minister of Ukraine.

According to the prosecution, in the Midas case Halushchenko helped Mindich control financial flows in the energy sector. In return, he received personal benefit from Mindich — protection before the President and the laundering of money through the intermediary Myroniuk.

Also, in conversations between Tsukerman and Myroniuk recorded during covert investigative actions, it is mentioned that “Sigismund” — that is, Herman Halushchenko — is a man of Derkach, a fugitive former MP convicted of high treason.

Members of this criminal organization, acting in prior conspiracy with representatives and officials of JSC Sense Bank, carried out the legalization (laundering) of property obtained by criminal means during June 2026.

According to the investigation, to carry out the criminal plan, the individuals in the case established de facto control over Sense Bank and developed a multi-tier mechanism for transiting funds through a number of front companies under the guise of paying for services or distributing profit.

A key element of the scheme was direct cooperation with the bank's top management, which ensured the circumvention of mandatory bank financial monitoring: the banking system was either blocked or switched to maintenance mode while transactions were being formed, or suspicious payments were let through manually.

Cash was delivered in tranches to the former MP's office, counted, and handed over for subsequent crediting to controlled accounts.

This former MP turned out to be Maksym Mykytas, who is charged with:

● the misappropriation of National Guard property worth UAH 81 million;

● the embezzlement of over UAH 307 million of Ministry of Defense funds under contracts for the construction of weapons depots;

● an attempt to bribe the Mayor of Dnipro, Borys Filatov, to award a metro construction contract to his companies without a tender.

More about Mykytas's other criminal cases and background — in our separate article.

In addition, the investigation materials recorded the group members' intentions and attempts to infiltrate their people into the NABU and other law enforcement agencies in order to create their own personnel reserve and safeguard their illegal activities.

The suspects' actions were classified under Articles 255, 191, 206-2, 209, 358, and 361 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

After the NABU and the SAPO released information about the exposure of the criminal group, Volodymyr Zelenskyi dismissed Iryna Mudra from the post of Deputy Head of the Presidential Office.