From diplomacy to missiles… a former US secretary joins a Ukrainian company
After a long diplomatic career, a former US Secretary of State is now moving into the weapons industry by joining a Ukrainian company as an adviser.
According to the Associated Press, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, along with three other prominent figures, has joined the advisory board of Fire Point, one of Ukraine’s leading defense companies.
The company is known for its long-range drones capable of striking targets deep inside Russia, while a corruption investigation remains ongoing.
Fire Point aims to expand its operations to produce battle-tested cruise missiles, with plans to more than double its current production capacity.
Corruption allegations… and the company responds
Despite intense public scrutiny amid an active corruption inquiry, Fire Point executives maintain that they have nothing to hide and that they operate under strict martial-law protocols. They even commissioned an independent audit to reassure investigators.
Critics, however, question the company’s opaque origins, its monopoly over certain Ministry of Defense contracts, and its alleged ties to Timoor Mendytch, a close associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky who is implicated in a major corruption scandal.
Irina Terykh, the company’s head of technology, stated that Fire Point fully supports the ongoing investigations. She added, “As a company, we fully support the conduct of this inquiry.”
She also noted that Fire Point hired a major international firm to conduct an independent audit of pricing and production to dispel concerns about transparency.
The Associated Press reported that its team was granted access to a facility in Ukraine where the Flamingo, or FP-5 cruise missile, is assembled, under the condition that its exact location remain undisclosed due to the risk of Russian strikes.
Now a fast-growing company, Fire Point is expected to reach nearly one billion dollars in revenue this year. It is also working on building a factory in Denmark to produce a key rocket-fuel component and plans to expand its cruise-missile production lines.
Testing of FP-1 drones and missiles
Building on the success of the FP-1 drone — which the Associated Press had exclusive access to observe last August — Fire Point now plans to increase production of its missiles, which are heavily sought after by Ukrainian forces, particularly as Western missile supplies remain insufficient to weaken Russia’s capabilities.
The company claims that Flamingo missiles have been successfully tested on the battlefield at least four times, including in an attack on a Russian Federal Security Service base in Armiansk, Crimea, and in recent strikes in the Russian city of Oryol.
For security reasons, the company has not disclosed its current production capacity.
The missiles are made with carbon-fiber structures to reduce their detectability by Russian radar systems, according to Maksym, the company’s chief designer, who spoke on condition that only his first name be used.
Danish support and international funding
Fire Point benefits from what is known as the “Danish model,” which allows foreign governments to directly finance Ukrainian defense companies rather than purchasing weapons from their own industries and sending them as aid.
Terykh explained: “They have done an outstanding job helping us secure the production of critical components. Our factory in Denmark is dedicated to solving bottlenecks in solid rocket fuel.”
Ongoing corruption investigations
The company’s rapid rise has been overshadowed by several investigations carried out by Ukrainian anti-corruption bodies.
Authorities are examining whether Fire Point inflated prices of components or the number of drones listed in Ministry of Defense contracts, and are also investigating possible links to Mendytch.
The company insists that the Flamingo missiles are not part of the inquiry.
Although the company is legally owned by Yehor Skaliha — also active in the entertainment industry — its founder, Denys Shtelerman, asserts that he is the true majority owner, stating that Skaliha holds only 2 percent of the shares.
