Mindich denies links to Fire Point drone manufacturer

Tymur Mindich, a businessman and co-owner of Kvartal 95, the Ukrainian TV production company Volodymyr Zelenskyy founded before he became president, has denied that he has any connection to the drone manufacturing company Fire Point or has lobbied on its behalf.

Source: Mindich in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda

Quote: "I am neither an owner, nor a shareholder, nor a beneficiary of the company. But I do know Mr Shtilerman. [Denys Shtilerman is a co-owner of Fire Point – ed.]

I think that rumours are damaging to such companies. If a company receives significant funding and supplies products, that means it helps us, helps the front line, and brings our victory closer."

Details: Fire Point began receiving multi-billion-hryvnia state contracts for long-range drone production in 2024. The company has been linked to Mindich in the media, but Fire Point itself has denied any connection.

Journalists from Ukrainska Pravda tracked Mindich down in Israel. He is a key suspect in an investigation into corruption in the energy sector by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (SAPO).

Mindich claims that the "media aspect" of his case accounts for "around 90%" and "significantly outweighs" the legal side.

"I have been made the scapegoat and the guilty one in the media … In my view, this is strong work by you and other journalists – a strong script and the strongest media attack in recent years. The media has shaped the entire image," he said.

Mindich has yet to directly refute the allegations made by NABU detectives and SAPO prosecutors.

Background:

• In January 2025, NABU formally requested Ukraine's State Financial Monitoring Service to disclose the flow of funds linked to Fire Point, but the information has not yet been provided. Two contracts worth more than UAH 7 billion (about US$166 million) were signed with the company in November 2024 alone.
• Shtilerman has confirmed that Mindich sought to acquire a 50% stake in the company. Shtilerman has also acknowledged that Ihor Fursenko, who is also implicated in Operation Midas, had worked at Fire Point.
• In August, NABU launched an investigation into Fire Point.
• FPRT, a company founded by Fire Point, was set to launch solid rocket fuel production in Denmark from 1 December.
• The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine has imposed a pre-trial restriction in absentia in the form of custody with respect to Mindich in the Energoatom embezzlement case. The suspects in the case are alleged to have laundered tens of millions of US dollars from Ukraine's state-owned nuclear energy company Energoatom, shielded by complicit government officials.

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