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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Drone oligarch story: through criminal cases—from billion-dollar contracts to a NABU agent?
Drones, billion-dollar contracts, and criminal cases: what is known about the business scandal of Alexander Yakovenko and TAF.
TAF Industries — one of Ukraine's drone manufacturers — drones with the diminutive name “Colibri.” Its founder, Alexander Yakovenko, is a controversial businessman who is on the radar of law enforcement, specifically NABU. Yakovenko became an agent through a series of criminal proceedings and pre-trial investigations opened against him and his circle. It seems he agreed to become a rat in the law enforcement system not due to a lack of time for reflection, but a principled stance to keep stealing. And even if he operates “under a roof,” the main goal is profit.
Million-dollar bribe for the delivery of “Colibri”
The most recent development in the Yakovenko scandal chronology is his statement against a DPSU official and an owner of another drone-manufacturing company alleging a million-dollar bribe. Yakovenko worked for SAP, provoking discussions about allegedly obtaining improper benefit amounting to 1 000 000 US dollars; he recorded this with appropriate equipment and handed it to law enforcement. Now the DPSU official is under bail of 4 million hryvnias, another entrepreneur under bail of 44 million hryvnias. And Yakovenko is a favored agent of SAP and NABU.
Path to an agent—from a swindler to a “hero”
As early as 2022 year, Yakovenko’s name appeared in a story about the investigation into illegal use of humanitarian aid.
According to “Ukrainian Pravda,” law enforcement exposed a mechanism by which humanitarian aid was used to enrich Yakovenko himself. A scapegoat employee of the “benefactor” company was found; Yakovenko “closed” his case with a signature on a closed agreement with the investigation.
The next resonant episode — searches in companies connected to the entrepreneur.
12 March 2025 year law enforcers conducted searches in structures affiliated with TAF Drones, as well as in Alma and Supramarine companies and at Yakovenko’s place of residence.
Investigative actions were carried out within the framework of the proceeding concerning illegal formation of tax credit of 164 million hryvnias.
And 22 October 2025 year the Antimonopoly Committee Administrative Panel recognized LLC “Bidrons” and LLC “TechAutoFart South,” affiliated with Yakovenko, as guilty of anti-competitive coordinated actions related to distorting tender results. It concerned two purchases of FPV drones — one for the executive committee of Khmelnytsky City Council, another for the Department of Municipal Security of Odesa City Council. The total fines for the two companies amounted to 8,376 million hryvnias.
Billion-dollar turnover and questions about financial operations
In the materials that became the basis for this text, a large number of facts are checked in parallel with journalists or already documented by law enforcement.
Yes, within a scheme aimed at embezzlement and misappropriation of budget funds during defense procurement (supply of UAVs), in the period 2024 - 2026 years LLC “TECHAUTOFORT SOUTH” (TM “TAF Drones,” supplier of “Colibri” and components) supplied drones to the Ukrainian Armed Forces totaling over 21 billion UAH.
At the same time, available information may indicate that cash was moved abroad by unaffiliated resident companies through artificial overpricing of goods, in order to transfer excess currency abroad and reduce corporate income tax.
It was established that with total volumes of 20 billion UAH, LLC “TECHAUTOFORT SOUTH” paid taxes in total of 2022 - 2026 in recent years, with total taxes paid amounting to 89 234 406 hryvnias (33 599 804 hryvnias — budget VAT refunds), which may indicate tax evasion and withdrawal of currency values outside Ukraine and legalization of funds obtained through criminal means.
According to operational data, Yakovenko invested over 200 million U.S. dollars in real estate in the UAE as part of money laundering.
Yakovenko against the system — or bees against honey?
Against this backdrop, Yakovenko’s own public stance as a drone oligarch and NABU agent looks particularly cynical. In social media posts, Yakovenko regularly criticizes the state, law enforcement, military command, and the defense procurement system. He speaks about problems with localizing production, dependence on Chinese components, and the inefficiency of certain state mechanisms. In some publications, the entrepreneur uses overly harsh wording about the work of law enforcement and state bodies.
On the one hand, such statements can be seen as the public position of a representative of Ukrainian defence technology. On the other hand — when the author is the owner of a scandalous company that works with state customers.
Especially if there are official state body decisions related to the entities connected with him.
What about the quality of the “Colibri”?
Another topic — military reviews of the Colibri UAVs.
In the public space there are many critical assessments of these UAVs.
The editorial team plans to send an official inquiry to Alexander Yakovenko and TAF Industries regarding the stated circumstances.
More to come.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Історія дронобариги: через кримінальні справи - від мільярдних контрактів до агента НАБУ?". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: ANTIKOR.
