NABU investigates possible overpricing of UAVs by Fire Point, - Kasianov
NABU is investigating possible price inflation for specific drones by Fire Point, which the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence purchased for the Ukrainian army with funds received, in particular, from the Danish government.
This was reported on Facebook by Major Yurii Kasianov, an aerial reconnaissance specialist, according to Censor.NET.
He cites material from the Danish publication Frihedsbrevet.
Details
Journalists recalled that the Danish government had allocated 500 million kroner for the creation of Ukrainian defence enterprises in the country. As part of this agreement, the Fire Point enterprise will soon be established in Denmark.
However, Ukrainian media reported that the Ukrainian Fire Point is under investigation by the NABU on suspicion of illegally inflating prices for drones.
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen denied the corruption investigation at a press conference.
In mid-October, Fire Point confirmed the investigation to "Dzerkalo Tyzhnia":
"A case has been opened against officials of the Ministry of Defence and the Security Service of Ukraine who, acting in collusion with representatives of supplier companies, may have inflated the purchase prices for drones. Seven companies, including ours, are being investigated as part of the case."
Kasianov is a witness in the case
Major Yurii Kasianov stated that Fire Point, in cooperation with high-ranking Ukrainian officials, set the price of its drones above the legal limit.
He told Frihedsbrevet journalists that he is a witness in the Fire Point investigation. In particular, Kasianov provided journalists with a summons from NABU. The Bureau also confirmed that he is involved in "one of their cases."
Kasianov noted that the investigation suggests that Fire Point, in collaboration with high-ranking officials, allegedly illegally inflated the prices of specific drones that the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence purchased for the Ukrainian army with funds received, in particular, from the Danish government.
"I am acting as a witness in the NABU case against Fire Point. I am a technical expert who knows how much a drone can cost and what its capabilities are, and I am providing economic expertise on the costs that underlie NABU's doubts about the price the state paid for these drones," he told Frihedsbrevet.
According to the officer, he has given three testimonies in the case, and the investigation is still ongoing.
On 3 October, the day after his first testimony, Kasianov's unit was disbanded due to "insufficient effectiveness".
Denmark's reaction
Journalists asked Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen how he and the Danish Ministry of Defence felt about the accusations against Fire Point, a company that will soon be established on Danish territory.
They replied:
"The Ministry of Defence has requested a statement and information on this issue from the Ukrainian government. No response has been received yet, so the Ministry of Defence will not comment further on this issue at this time."
The publication also asked the Ukrainian Embassy to comment on Yurii Kasianov's criticism, but received no response. Fire Point also declined to comment on the situation.
What preceded this?
Earlier, The New York Times reported that Fire Point, which manufactures long-range drones and "Flamingo" missiles, was previously a casting agency that provided services, in particular, for films starring Volodymyr Zelenskyy when he was still an actor. The company is currently one of the largest contractors for the Ukrainian army, with contracts worth $1 billion.
