A former Ukrainian prime minister has been alleged to be involved in a plot using piles of U.S. currency intended to undermine the administration of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to statements from a former political advisor.
Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) first confirmed on January 13 that it had discovered an alleged attempt by the head of an unspecified parliamentary faction to provide unlawful advantages to legislators, as reported.
Footage released by NABU displayed bundles of U.S. dollars confiscated during overnight raids conducted earlier in the week, which included video of a woman seated at a desk in an office. The authorities have not named the suspect publicly.
According to published recordings, three lawmakers were allegedly offered monthly payments of $10,000 in return for their votes. Some have connected the case to Yulia Tymoshenko, a seasoned politician, former prime minister, and present head of the Batkivshchyna party.
Iuliia Mendel, a former press secretary for Zelenskyy, informed Digital that the money supposedly belonged to Tymoshenko and was meant to compensate lawmakers for voting against the president’s legislative initiatives.
“In Ukraine, these kinds of dealings are typically negotiated in U.S. dollars, as evident from law enforcement documents,” stated Mendel, a former political advisor.
“The U.S. currency seen in that video was allegedly hers, intended for paying individuals to oppose Zelenskyy’s legislative proposals. She claimed it was from her personal savings,” Mendel continued.
Mendel noted that the amount visible in the video seemed comparatively small, “around $40,000,” adding that other Ukrainian corruption scandals have involved “far greater amounts, sometimes reaching millions of dollars.”
The search of Tymoshenko’s party office is said to have continued for almost the entire night.
“Officers came in the evening and stayed in her office for nearly the whole night,” Mendel said.
Several legislators—reportedly including some from Zelenskyy’s own faction—are said to have contacted Tymoshenko, initiating talks about consistent monthly remuneration for synchronized voting.
Although she has reportedly been issued a notice of suspicion, Tymoshenko spoke in parliament this week, denouncing the case as “political persecution against me.”
“The so-called ‘urgent investigative actions’ that went on all night concluded at the Batkivshchyna party office. These ‘urgent investigative actions’ are unrelated to law and order,” Tymoshenko also posted on Facebook.
Mendel explained that the objective was not a personal assault on Zelenskyy but to splinter the ruling majority.
“Ukraine’s system is a parliamentary-presidential republic, where the legislature holds a pivotal role in governing. When the president commands a mono-majority, laws can be enacted rapidly,” Mendel stated.
“Shattering that majority would substantially weaken the government’s effectiveness.”
Tymoshenko, a key player in the 2004 Orange Revolution and Ukraine’s inaugural female prime minister, has encountered legal issues previously.
She was imprisoned in 2011 concerning a gas agreement with Russia, a case widely considered politically driven, and was freed in 2014. She is anticipated to face proceedings at Ukraine’s High Anti-Corruption Court.
“Corruption is a primary factor in why we are losing this war. It critically harms Ukraine’s international reputation,” Mendel cautioned.
“By 2024, corruption had grown to such an extent that Ukrainians opted for a highly risky and difficult course—publicly exposing it to combat it,” Mendel further remarked.
“Now, incidents such as this one return the problem to public attention. Corruption will ruin Ukraine.”
Digital has contacted Zelenskyy’s office seeking a statement.