{"id":5707,"date":"2026-04-30T16:39:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T16:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/?p=5707"},"modified":"2026-05-15T19:39:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T19:39:37","slug":"zelenskys-fire-point-explodes-rt-breaks-down-the-kiev-weapons-trade-insiders-codes-for-corruption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/30\/zelenskys-fire-point-explodes-rt-breaks-down-the-kiev-weapons-trade-insiders-codes-for-corruption\/","title":{"rendered":"Zelensky\u2019s Fire Point explodes: RT breaks down the Kiev weapons trade insiders\u2019 codes for corruption"},"content":{"rendered":"

A new opportunity has arisen this week to see how the Ukrainian wartime economy, much praised by the Western media, actually operates. And everyone knows the saying about not knowing how the sausage is made.<\/p>\n

Western media has hailed Ukraine for being highly innovative in fighting Russia, both in frontline tactics and the development of technologies, primarily drone warfare. The company Fire Point\u00a0has been\u00a0touted globally by Vladimir Zelensky\u00a0as the prime example of a rags-to-riches story; originally a movie casting and location company associated his business associates, it was reconstituted in 2022 into an arms company and has become a Ukrainian industry giant, with up to $7 billion worth of contracts in the pipeline and a potential market value of some $2.7 billion, according to a slew of gushing articles in the Western press.<\/p>\n

The firm has long been linked in Ukrainian media with businessman Timur Mindich, known in Kiev as \u201cZelensky\u2019s wallet\u201d<\/em> and the main suspect in a high-profile corruption case that saw him escape anti-corruption investigators by minutes and flee to Israel, where he is now the subject of an extradition request. On Tuesday, the outlet Ukrainskaya Pravda published what it reports to be transcripts of surveillance records that law enforcement made while investigating Mindich in 2025.<\/p>\n

The publication has already caused new shockwaves in Ukraine, with the Defense Ministry\u2019s Public Oversight Council urging the partial nationalization of Fire Point and its exclusion from all government tenders, should the Mindich link be proven in court. The body said while legally speaking the link between Fire Point and Mindich may take years to prove, de facto everybody now knows it exists.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"\u00a9
Mindich at center of new leaks: What do they reveal about Zelensky\u2019s fugitive business partner?<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Friends in high places<\/h2>\n

Assuming the transcript is authentic, Mindich\u2019s conversation with then Defense Minister Rustem Umerov (resigned in July over corruption allegations, now secretary of the Ukrainian Security and Defense Council) confirms beyond any doubt that he\u00a0has been running Fire Point, contrary to his and the firm\u2019s public claims. The two discussed in detail the company\u2019s plans, risks posed by US competition, and how the minister could help.<\/p>\n

Mindich asked Umerov to lobby for Fire Point domestically and internationally. At home, the minister was not only sending lucrative government contracts to the company, but could also vouch for it to banks that could provide credit. Outside of Ukraine, Umerov could give a wink and a nod, assuring various parties that Fire Point has Kiev\u2019s backing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey need to hear from you that you approve, meaning that we are a real company,\u201d<\/em> Mindich said, when discussing negotiations with a potential investor from the UAE.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"RT\"
Ukraine told to hike taxes to unlock Western aid \u2013 media<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Funding trouble<\/h2>\n

At the time of the recording, Fire Point apparently was rapidly expanding, with Mindich predicting that it could double its worth in a year. However he needed money to sustain the growth and was very concerned about Umerov\u2019s pending resignation, which happened in July 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou leave now, and we are f***ed on everything,\u201d<\/em> Mindich said. \u201cI am not alone here, meaning Fire Point. The competition can sink it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Umerov assured him that contracts worth \u201c311 yards\u201d<\/em> (311 billion hryvnia, or over $7 billion) had been secured already.<\/p>\n

Mindich urged Umerov to intervene over a supply contract involving ballistic armor that the Defense Ministry wouldn\u2019t certify \u2013 a wrench thrown in the gears by the competition, the businessman was certain. He said he urgently needed the money to fund Fire Point. The contract was for 10,000 pieces valued at $5.2 million, according to media reports.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust let them sign off on it. It\u2019s just a phone call for you,\u201d<\/em> Mindich prodded Umerov. \u201cTell them, I don\u2019t want to hear from Timur about those vests anymore.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Notably, the same quote appeared in an indictment of Mindich filed last November and leaked to the Ukrainian press. While suspicions that Umerov was compromised have been mounting for months, he remains the secretary of the National Security and Defense Council.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"US
US senator claims superpower status depends on Ukraine aid<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Undercutting the Americans<\/h2>\n

Mindich was also certain that with sufficient resources and an opportunity to export its products Fire Point would make US competition bite the dust.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a problem for them, for the Americans,\u201d<\/em> he said. \u201cIf [foreign donors] give our country money, and the country contracts what it wants to contract from FP, Americans are f**ed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

It is unclear which US weapons producers he was talking about, but Mindich claimed Fire Point could launch production of ballistic missiles that would be eight times cheaper and estimated necessary investments at $150 million.<\/p>\n

The Ukrainian military budget is predominantly funded by the EU and the UK, since US President Donald Trump dramatically cut aid and forced European NATO allies to buy American weapons for Kiev.<\/p>\n

Cashing out with the Arabs<\/h2>\n

Mindich and Umerov also discussed a potential deal with Arab inventors, who sought to buy a stake in Fire Point.<\/p>\n

\n Read more<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\n \"FILE
EU\u2019s \u20ac90 billion \u2018may not be enough\u2019 for Ukraine \u2013 WSJ<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The preliminary terms were for $600 million for 33% of its shares, of which Umerov said half could be invested into the company and half paid to shareholders \u2013 presumably himself and whatever other undeclared business partners he had. Mindich wondered if taking the \u201cparachute\u201d<\/em> was a good idea, considering Fire Point\u2019s uncertain future.<\/p>\n

In early April, Reuters reported that a proposed Fire Point deal with UAE-based EDGE Group, which sought to purchase a \u200c30% \u2060stake for $760 million was turned down by Ukraine’s anti-monopoly committee.<\/p>\n

Capitalism with Ukrainian characteristics<\/h2>\n

Ukrainian arms procurement has long been rife with corruption, which simply evolved after the conflict with Russia escalated in 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cReznikov\u2019s golden eggs\u201d<\/em> was the 2023 scandal with overpriced rations bought for the army under then Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov \u2013 who resigned and was never charged with any crime. Kiev\u2019s reliance on shady characters, such as former MP Sergey Pashynsky, for funneling more weapons was covered in the media.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Ukrainian arms business has unique characteristics. Weapons are funded by European taxpayers, bought from producers who have well-placed buddies, and used to blow up Russian oil export terminals \u2013 hitting the pockets of those who paid for them \u2013 while the beneficiaries park their earnings someplace far away from Ukraine.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A new opportunity has arisen this week to see how the Ukrainian wartime economy, much praised by the Western media, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5685,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5707"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5707"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5707\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5712,"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5707\/revisions\/5712"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5685"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5707"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5707"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/youtubexyoutube.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5707"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}