Economist Podcasts The Weekend Intelligence: Operation Midas
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Dec 6, 2025 
Oliver Carroll, an Economist correspondent covering Ukraine, dives deep into 'Operation Midas,' a groundbreaking corruption scandal shaking the nation's political landscape. He outlines the investigation's origins, revealing chilling details about leaked tapes and a kickback scheme undermining Ukraine's energy sector. Carroll also discusses the significant political fallout stemming from high-profile arrests and public protests, emphasizing the ongoing threat corruption poses to Ukraine's war effort and stability as it navigates a potential peace deal.
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Tapes Reveal Corruption Undermining War Effort
- Operation Midas exposed audio-recorded conversations revealing officials planning to skim funds and underfund critical infrastructure protection.
- Oliver Carroll shows these tapes linked kickbacks directly to decisions that weakened Ukraine's energy defenses during wartime.
Barrier Scheme Skimmed Millions From Energoatom
- NABU detectives traced a scheme called Barrier extracting 10–15% kickbacks from Energoatom contractors, totalling at least $100m so far.
- Investigators used covert bugs, triangulation and months of surveillance to link nicknames to real officials and businessmen.
Sting On Developer Opened The Investigation
- A sting against a property developer in 2023 unearthed messages leading investigators to Deputy PM Chernyshov and a secret money‑laundering back office.
- That back office later proved central to laundering funds for the Energoatom operation and financing luxury villas.