Copyright kyivpost
At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, the company Fire Point, which, with $1 billion in contracts this year, would become one of Ukraine’s largest military contractors, was a casting agency for film and television. The New York Times (NYT), citing Ukrainian registration documents, reports that Fire Point’s legally listed owner, Yehor Skalyha, also runs a film location scouting firm that worked on dozens of productions, including a 2016 romantic comedy starring Volodymyr Zelensky, before he became the president of Ukraine. Fire Point’s chief technology officer, Iryna Terekh, previously manufactured concrete outdoor furniture. Today, across roughly 30 secret sites, the company produces long-range drones using inexpensive materials like Styrofoam, plywood, plastic, and racing-grade carbon fiber. Ukraine’s long-range drone sector is rapidly expanding, with over 20 companies competing in this field, according to Ihor Fedirko, head of the Council of Defense Industries. One of the biggest players, Fire Point, produces the FP-1 drone, which resembles a small airplane. It launches with a rocket-assisted start and runs on a two-stroke engine similar to those used in chain saws. Despite being made from inexpensive materials, the FP-1 can carry a 60-kilogram (130-pound) warhead, fly up to 1,370 kilometers (850 miles), and reach much of western Russia. Its larger Flamingo missile, equipped with a jet engine and a one-ton warhead, is expected to enhance Ukraine’s ability to strike deep into Russia. As per the report, Fire Point has faced accusations of using connections to win contracts and has been questioned in an anticorruption investigation, though executives say the probe targets government officials, not the company. Critics have also raised concerns about the quality of its drones, though Fire Point claims its FP-1 drone now reliably hits Russian targets. Despite its cinematic beginnings, the company has become a key player in Ukraine’s drone and missile campaigns, with drones reportedly carrying out 60% of attacks inside Russia. Fire Point is now ramping up Flamingo missile production, a long-range, heavy-payload weapon that former CIA director David Petraeus has called a potential “game changer” in the war. NYT reports that Fire Point’s contracts account for roughly 10% of Ukraine’s defense procurement budget this year. However, a government audit found that the company had avoided a legally required price negotiation, leading to about $16.7 million in potential overspending. Auditors said procurement officials estimated the drones could be produced more cheaply than the company’s price of $58,000 per unit. Fire Point executives defended the pricing, arguing that their drones deliver cruise missile-level capabilities for a fraction of the cost of similar Western weapons, which can exceed $1 million each. Not everyone agrees. Maj. Yurii Kasyanov, a former drone commander, said Fire Point secured contracts despite design flaws, while his own model, the Spear, featuring a jamming-proof guidance system, was ignored – even after he demonstrated it by detonating two drones near the Kremlin flag in 2023. Kasyanov, who later testified as a witness in an anticorruption probe involving Fire Point, said his unit was disbanded afterward. Responding to criticism, Fire Point’s chief technology officer Iryna Terekh said Ukraine’s drone production is a new industry that must adapt and simplify traditional aerospace standards to achieve affordability and mass production.
