Ukrainian drone manufacturer Vyriy Drone has found itself at the center of a high-profile scandal after the failure of a large-scale state procurement of FPV drones for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The company won 8 out of 11 tenders in the Prozorro system, but within a few days it refused 7 contracts, citing “production overload.”
The decision has put the supply of more than 100,000 drones, which are crucial to the front, at risk. The Defense Procurement Agency is being forced to urgently re-sign contracts with other companies, which risks delaying equipment on the front lines.
The tender lasted only one day, required thorough preparation and participation of competitors, so experts emphasize that winning "by chance" in such a process is practically impossible.
The company's founder, Oleksiy Babenko, admitted that the refusal was deliberate - due to the allegedly too short order fulfillment period (15 days). However, these conditions were known on the eve of the auction, so the company actually first gave the lowest price offer and then refused to fulfill its obligations.
According to representatives of Vyriy Drone, they sought to "show the shortcomings of the procurement system." At the same time, the explanation does not remove the question: why was this done at a time when the Armed Forces of Ukraine urgently need drones. Such behavior looks like a deliberate blocking of supplies.
The history of the company's founder adds to the suspicion. Before the war, Babenko rented out special equipment, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion he was engaged in the sale of bulletproof vests, and later began to receive defense government orders worth billions. Now his company has actually put the country's defense capability at risk by cutting off the most important contracts.
A supply disruption of this magnitude calls into question not only the integrity of Vyriy Drone, but also the effectiveness of the defense procurement system itself. For the front, it means a delay in equipment that could cost soldiers' lives.
