Maker of Ukraine's new Flamingo cruise missile facing corruption probe

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Alikont@reddit

The article is unsourced bullshit.

Actual anti-corruption agency denies the claim

https://epravda.com.ua/biznes/rozsliduvannya-shchodo-raketi-flamingo-ne-vedetsya-nabu-810984/

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friedrichlist@reddit (OP)

Remind me, who is owner of epradva?

Драгон Кепітал чи я помиляюся?

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Alikont@reddit

EPravda cites direct statement from NABU.

And it's funny how you consider EPravda to be pro-Zelensky, lol.

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friedrichlist@reddit (OP)

Did you forget how to read in Ukrianain?

Extract for you:

«За даними видання, детективи перевіряють, чи не завищувала Fire Point вартість комплектуючих або кількість дронів, які постачалися для Міноборони Раніше народний депутат Ярослав Железняк закликав у Telegram "не плутати ракету з дронами". "За моєю інформацією, розслідування НАБУ по ракетам немає. Про це і першеджерело (KyivIndependent) і не писало. Чомусь новину неправильно всі сприймають. Чув, що є питання до дронів", – зазначив він.»

Corruption case against drones still exists. Moreover, as we both know, there is 150% chance that there is indeed a chance of corruption because we are talking about one of the most corrupted states in the world.

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sumquy@reddit

there is 150% chance

i just lost any respect for anything you say...

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Gruejay2@reddit

It's called hyperbole.

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Alikont@reddit

So KI article is still clickbait?

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geltance@reddit

Flamingo missile, brought to you by Ghost of Kiev and multiple other fund raises/propaganda poster children. Just another money laundering via most corrupt country in Europe.

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Mundane_Emu8921@reddit

I mean it’s the FP-5 missile a British firm created last year.

There isn’t anything “Ukrainian” about it.

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geltance@reddit

Agh my apologies

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Tricky_Weight5865@reddit

Yeah guys, the missile is fake :DD

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geltance@reddit

At best it's like russian Armata tank, at worst pure fiction

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DronedOrclul@reddit

You spend an unhealthy amount of time on reddit complaining about Ukraine.

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usesidedoor@reddit

The CPI awards actually goes to Russia - because, of course, no accountability mechanisms, no corruption :)

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Unexpected_yetHere@reddit

Even in the midst of a war for survival, a MIC company gets investigated over the possibility of corruption.

Good going for Ukraine, a country which, ever since fighting off russian influence, kept improving and ditched the title of most-corrupt in Europe a decade ago.

Shameful to see some EU state slipping down the corruption drain in the meanwhile.

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Mundane_Emu8921@reddit

They didn’t fight corruption. It has gotten infinitely worse.

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Unexpected_yetHere@reddit

It has gotten infinitely worse.

Literally kept getting better and better every year after Yanukovich.

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Type_02@reddit

most-corrupt in Europe a decade ago.

Its stilm corrupt brother..

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Unexpected_yetHere@reddit

It is, but it improved. It isn't even the most corrupt EU candidate member, let alone the most corrupt country in Europe, as it used to be.

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friedrichlist@reddit (OP)

Are we talking about the same Ukraine? What I have seen on streets of Kyiv, I would say so, mate

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Mundane_Emu8921@reddit

It isn’t improved.

But many people wish that it was improved.

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Unexpected_yetHere@reddit

What do you mean?

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zaplayer20@reddit

That is very inaccurate, while they fight the corruption, they didn't change much and during such times when oversight is laughable, people are more corrupt than ever.

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imunfair@reddit

That is very inaccurate, while they fight the corruption, they didn't change much

That's because "fighting the corruption" is just a soviet-style tool for Zelensky to remove his political opponents and detractors. It's useful when everyone around you is corrupt or stealing because then you have dirt on them if you ever need it. It isn't a bug, it's a feature.

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imunfair@reddit

Fire Point's alleged ties to Zelensky's former associate, and whether the firm inflated contracts with the state.

I guarantee they did. The only question is whether anyone is actually going to do anything about it, and that hinges heavily on whether Zelensky is still "our guy" or if we're looking for an exit. Because if he's "our guy" then we'll sweep anything under the rug in the name of maintaining support and solidarity.

Ukraine isn't any different than Russia in regards to that sort of stuff so you can't tell me we didn't notice they were stealing long before now. The extra they were taking off the top was just the cost of doing business.

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Mundane_Emu8921@reddit

Sure. We will sweep things away officially but that does not change how people view him.

Ukraine is exactly like Russia.

Key takeaway from this war is that simply saying “No were different” does not make it true especially when you share 1,000 years of history with them.

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Smooth_Imagination@reddit

Yeah the problem was probably there, but they are not just like Russia. Russia will force a company to give over IP and threaten all sorts if you, an IP owner dont comply with the FSB, like chuck you in jail. This was one account of a company that developed light weight drone motors, the FSB told them to hand it over to another company they likely had a kick back deal with and start working for them as regular employees, according to Inside Russia. One of these developers escaped the countey and the other didn't come out of too well.

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Winjin@reddit

I was under the impression that literally every MIC does that.

Didn't a European military contractor respond to 10% increase in Defense budget in (somewhere in Europe) by increasing all prices by 10% just a couple years ago?

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CLOUDMlNDER@reddit

I'm not endorsing either scenario but there is a slight difference between hiking prices and seeing what you can get away with and hiking prices because you know a pal is in a position to sign off on it.

I do presume this is a norm in the MIC though. The reason imperialists focused on installing bourgeois parliaments around the world is how amenable the people who climb such political systems tend to be towards kickbacks.

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Luka77GOATic@reddit

Maybe not appropriate to do during what is perceived as in Ukraine as a do or die war in which Ukraine already lacks money. Plenty of time for big markups after the war.

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Rovcore001@reddit

After the war, austerity and anti-military sentiments will kick in. This is the best time for them to grift.

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questionnmark@reddit

The two industry sources allege that within a short time after formation in 2023, the company was turning out barely functional drones while receiving massive preferential funding from the government.

While producing ineffective drones in its early days is neither illegal nor necessarily unethical, a company that benefits from political favoritism while delivering a subpar product raises questions about oversight and accountability. In the case of Fire Point, it looks to have been designated as the heir apparent of Ukraine’s deep-strike ambitions from the outset.

The people behind Fire Point

According to the source in the government, the investigation began roughly four months ago — shortly before a high-profile crackdown by the Zelensky administration to curtail NABU's independence last month.

The government source told the Kyiv Independent that Fire Point's origins "seem to be a priority for (NABU’s investigation) at the moment."

I guess that is the crux of the issue.

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Soepkip43@reddit

Interesting. But if a company is specifically financed to build a capability Ukraine desperately needs (locally built, deep strike capabilities) it does make sense the company gets a shit ton of money. So the fact the company is the largest beneficiary should mean it is also under the largest magnifying glass to prevent impropriety.

For the rest I read a link between Zelensky and the owner is made.. but this seems highly speculative at this point.

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