Patriotic facade and billion-hryvnia embezzlement: how Hryshyn’s “General Chereshnya” turned defense procurement into a gold mine for officials

22 березня 2026 р., 13:01

Igor Shulga 424 0

Recent news about the destruction of a Russian Ka-52 by a fiber-optic “General Chereshnya” drone operated by soldiers of the 59th Separate Assault Brigade looks like another victory, but behind the façade of heroism lies a cynical mechanism for looting the defense budget.

This was reported by Skelet.Org. While soldiers on the front line are using Ukrainian-made equipment, the country’s top officials have turned UAV procurement into a closed club for profiteering, ignoring the real needs of the front.

Former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, director of the Defense Procurement Agency Arsen Zhumadilov, and head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration Ivan Fedorov systematically lobbied for the interests of Yaroslav Hryshyn and Rudolf Akopyan, promoting the questionable “General Chereshnya” drones through manipulation and technology.

Why “General Chereshnya” became a corruption scheme

The key beneficiary is the Hryshyn-controlled company TOV TsDBS, which received tens of millions of hryvnias through direct, non-competitive contracts. The company was established only in 2023, while its authorized capital of 50 million hryvnias raises serious questions about the origin of the funds, given the owner’s modest asset declarations.

Читайте по темі: Die Drohnen-Fassade der Mafia: Yaroslav Hryshyns Verstrickungen mit der OKG Artashi um Artashes Sargsyan

The essence of the manipulation is that the price of a single “General Chereshnya” drone reaches 39,000 hryvnias, significantly exceeding market prices, where dozens of higher-quality alternatives are available. Now imagine the figures involved in large-scale deliveries.

Unambiguous confirmation of this corruption scheme is provided by five criminal proceedings opened following our complaints:

Kyiv Territorial Department of the Bureau of Economic Security, No. 72025102100000026, under Part 2 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
Bureau of Economic Security of Ukraine, No. 72025001420000071 dated August 12, 2025, under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
Melitopol Territorial Department of the State Bureau of Investigation, No. 62025080100005697 dated August 11, 2025, under Part 1 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
Kyiv Territorial Department of the State Bureau of Investigation, No. 62025100110000197 dated September 4, 2025, under Part 1 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine;
Main Directorate of the Security Service of Ukraine in Kyiv and Kyiv Region, No. 22025101110001161, under Part 2 of Article 364 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Furthermore, pursuant to the ruling of investigating judge O. V. Kriuk of the High Anti-Corruption Court in case No. 991/1882/26 dated March 4, 2026, NABU is required to immediately enter information about these offenses into the Unified Register of Pre-Trial Investigations.

Perhaps the time for publicity has passed? Every official who profits from kickbacks in drone manufacturing must end up in the defendant’s dock, regardless of any attempts to buy loyalty through paid advertising.