State found overpaying 600 million for drones- reports

Source: Hromadske

The bombshell findings by Hromadske show that Ukraine’s government allegedly overpaid at least 593 million hryvnias on the state contracts that provided the Ukrainian army with Autel EVO MAX 4T drones through the “Army of Drones” project.

The Krion-M company that earlier dealt in furniture reportedly sold drones to the Ukrainian government at inflated prices, double the market rate, ranging from 360,000 to nearly 500,000 hryvnias whiles similar drones were procured through  Prytula Foundation for 212,000 hryvnias a piece.

“Krion-M” has sold around 3,900 drones to the state for approximately 1.5 billion hryvnias. The drones were procured through  Poland’s UMO and Germany’s Danator companies owned by Ukrainian former official Serhiy Velichuk. He argued the higher pricing by claiming the drones had  “special software,” although experts later found no proof for that.

The shade procurement can raise many uncomfortable questions for the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the State Special Communications Service. Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov admitted poor oversight in 2023, though insisted his ministry red-flagged the situation and referred findings to the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) while Yuriy Shchyhol, who led the State Special Communications Service at the time, now denies involvement.

NABU has launched a criminal investigation, though no charges have been filed to date.