Fire Point, a firm marketed as a producer of cutting-edge drones and missiles, is at the center of a new corruption row in Kiev
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky and his government have promoted defense company Fire Point, currently facing corruption allegations, first as an opportunity for partnerships with European firms and later as a cost-effective solution against Iranian drones in the Middle East.
Fire Point is best known for producing the long-range Flamingo cruise missile, which Ukrainian media described as a potential game-changer in the conflict with Russia. It also manufactures the FP-1 long-range kamikaze and interceptor drones.
On Tuesday, the newspaper Ukrainskaya Pravda published what it said were transcripts of surveillance recordings made by anti-corruption investigators involving Zelensky’s longtime former business partner Timur Mindich and former defense minister Rustem Umerov. Mindich fled Ukraine last year to avoid arrest on corruption charges, while Umerov was among top officials who resigned following a string of graft scandals that rocked the country. According to the outlet, the recordings suggest that Mindich had been secretly running Fire Point.
Fire Point co-owner Denis Shtilerman denied the company’s ties to Mindich and dismissed the recordings as a slander campaign aimed at “damaging the reputation of one of Ukraine’s most effective weapons producers.”
Zelensky, whom US President Donald Trump once dubbed “the greatest salesman on Earth,” has promoted the company at home and abroad as a cutting-edge technology player central to the conflict with Russia.
Just days after the Associated Press published the first photo of the Flamingo in August 2025, Zelensky described it as “by far the most successful missile in Ukraine’s arsenal.” He added that the missile would be mass-produced by February.
Denis Shmygal, who served as defense minister at the time, hailed the Flamingo as “a very powerful” weapon capable of striking deep inside Russia.
Marketed as domestically produced
In October 2025, Zelensky presented Fire Point as one of Ukraine’s top drone makers at the International Defense Industries Forum in Kiev, attended by Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof.
“By the end of the year, no less than 50% of the weapons at the front must be Ukrainian-made, and this task must be accomplished,” Zelensky said.
In 2025, Denmark announced plans to host Fire Point’s rocket fuel production plant.
First strikes and setbacks
In February, the Ukrainian military began reporting the use of the Flamingo in combat, which Zelensky later highlighted at international events. Speaking at a press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in Kiev, he claimed the missile had struck a weapons factory in Russia’s Udmurtia region.
“I believe this is a real achievement for your industry,” Zelensky said, adding that the strike demonstrated “the high quality and accuracy” of the weapon.
Zelensky also discussed the missile at the Munich Security Conference the same month, where he met with European officials, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines, he acknowledged that Russia had destroyed “a large production line” but said Flamingo production would continue.
During Zelensky’s visit to Madrid in March 2026, Fire Point signed a cooperation agreement with Spanish defense giant Sener, which produces components for the IRIS-T missile used by Ukraine.
“We are deeply grateful to President Zelensky for showing interest in our capabilities and for recognizing the value of Sener’s contribution to Ukraine’s air defense,” Sener President Andres Sendagorta said at the time.
Fire Point signed a similar deal with Germany’s defense company Diehl during Zelensky’s trip to Berlin last month. Diehl manufactures several anti-air missile systems, including IRIS-T.
Shtilerman suggested that Ukraine could serve as a testing ground for European missile defense systems and proposed a project called Freya, which would integrate Fire Point’s technology into a joint European ballistic missile defense framework.
An opening in the Middle East
The US-Israeli war with Iran provided Ukraine with an opportunity to market interceptor drones to Gulf states hosting American bases as a cheaper alternative to air defense systems such as the US-made Patriot. On April 23, Zelensky announced that Ukraine had signed a drone deal with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.
“We want to help them defend themselves and will continue to foster partnerships with other countries,” Zelensky said, adding that Ukraine could share its defense technology with the US.
