Ukraine’s top journalist on investigating Zelensky's circle

The Kyiv Independent’s Kateryna Denisova speaks with one of Ukraine's most prominent investigative journalists, Mykhailo Tkach, about the newly published recordings exposing corruption and money laundering inside President Volodymyr Zelensky's inner circle. Tkach explains what the so-called “Mindich tapes” reveal about alleged influence networks around Zelensky’s circle, wartime contracts, and attempts to weaken Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions. The conversation also explores how corruption allegations intersect with Ukraine’s EU ambitions, public trust, and the future of wartime governance. Subscribe to our channel for more independent reporting from Ukraine. Become a member of our community: https://kyivindependent.com/membershi... Your support allows us to bring independent, locally sourced news about Ukraine to the world. 00:00 Intro 00:27 Yermak charged 01:59 Support independent journalism in Ukraine 02:17 What the “Mindich tapes” revealed 04:42 Fire Point and defense deals 09:41 Inside the “Dynasty” mansion project 13:13 Why Zelensky’s circle felt untouchable 15:55 Pressure on NABU and SAPO 18:44 Did Zelensky know? 20:00 Why the tapes felt shocking 21:38 Silence from Zelensky 24:34 Zelensky, power, and inner circle 28:35 Corruption, war, and Ukraine’s future 32:36 Outro This interview was recorded in Ukrainian and features AI-generated dubbing into English.