Back
Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Within a few months the FPV drone “General Chereshnia” went from another model on the market to a priority product under a state contract worth 2,5 billion UAH.
On 23 April 2025 the unmanned vehicle was codified and approved for operation by the Main Directorate for Lifecycle Support of Arms and Military Equipment of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. After that, “Chereshnia” began to be promoted as the baseline model for a large state order. The main recipient became the company LLC “CDBS,” registered in 2023, whose founder is Yaroslav Hryshyn — a former deputy of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Council. A company with no history, but with authorized capital of over 50 million UAH. Where did the money come from? A rhetorical question.
Rustem Umerov, Arsen Zhumadilov and “CDBS”: who made the decisions in favor of a single supplier
Key decisions were made by representatives of the management block of defense procurement. Among the people mentioned are former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and the Director of the Defense Procurement Agency Arsen Zhumadilov. According to the investigation, they helped ensure that “General Chereshnia” was given priority over more than 20 alternative models. And it was their decisions that opened the way to billion-hryvnia contracts for a company that had no manufacturing experience. Umerov, Zhumadilov — will you comment?
Personnel elevators and transfers from the Ministry of Defense: how “CDBS” gained access to state orders
Particular attention is drawn to personnel moves from the state sector to the private supplier. A former top manager of a state enterprise affiliated with the Ministry of Defense moved to work for “CDBS” in 2025. Another example of how state structures cultivate personnel for private business, and then that business receives billion-hryvnia contracts. A coincidence? Unlikely.
A twofold markup and noncompetitive tenders: how Hryshyn “won” in Prozorro
The market price of the drone is from 17 900 to 39 000 UAH per unit. This exceeds offers from other manufacturers. But the state chose “CDBS.” In Zaporizhzhia region the company signed a number of contracts without competition through the Prozorro system — it was the only participant and the winner. A tender worth 2,5 billion — with no competitors. How is this possible in a country at war where every penny counts? Obviously, it’s possible when you have the right connections.
Several criminal proceedings have been registered on the presented facts under articles on misappropriation of property and abuse of office. However, a full pretrial investigation, the publication claims, is not currently being conducted. There are cases, but no work is being done. Yaroslav Hryshyn continues to receive contracts. Umerov and Zhumadilov remain silent. And “General Chereshnia” is becoming a symbol of how war turns into a source of excess profits for the chosen few.
Source: fttc.com
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "2,5 мільярда без конкуренції: як ексдепутат Гришин накрутив удвічі ціну на дронах «Генерал Черешня»". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: HAB Media.
