Scandal involving the largest drone supplier for the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Links with Russia: scandal involving the largest drone supplier for the Ukrainian Armed Forces

A company supplying drones to the Armed Forces of Ukraine has found itself at the centre of a scandal. It has emerged that the main supplier of equipment for TOV Skrintek, one of the largest players in this market, is the Czech firm DIMER Group, whose reputation raises serious questions.

Key facts

DIMER Group and the Russian trail
One of the former heads of DIMER Group is Latvian businessman Andrijs Bradens. His name appears on US and UK sanctions lists for involvement in money laundering for Russian elites.

Bradens also owns TGR Corporate Concierge LTD, which is part of the international network TGR Group, headquartered in Moscow. According to investigations, Russians used this network to circumvent sanctions by converting funds into Western currencies and cryptocurrency.

Skrintek owners and their wealth
The owner of Skrintek is Pavlo Yelizarov, a former producer of the popular talk show Shuster live. In 2024, Yelizarov and his wife purchased real estate in Miami worth $2.1 million.

In addition, Yelizarov, who rapidly advanced in his military career, was awarded the Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky, Third Class.

Record revenues
In 2023, Skrintek's profit increased 1,700-fold, reaching an impressive 3 billion hryvnia.

Suspicious supplies and questions about oversight

The main allegation against Skrintek remains its cooperation with a company having links with Russia. While the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to fight for Ukraine's independence, such deals raise doubts about the ethics and transparency of the supplies.

Experts emphasise that such situations require more thorough scrutiny by both Ukrainian and international bodies to prevent funds and equipment from falling into the hands of the enemy.