According to media reports, a closed control system has been built in the defense drone procurement market, which is linked to structures associated with Oleksandr Konotopskyi. It is alleged that these companies have effectively monopolized about 40% of the entire UAV market, receiving state orders worth an astronomical amount - over 40 billion UAH.
According to the Telegram channel "Rukh NON-STOP Ukraine," LLC "Strym Tehno"—a company with a charter capital of only 100 thousand UAH—became the main recipient of contracts, showing an anomalous revenue of 15.2 billion UAH. Meanwhile, the actual contract value of the UAV supplies is hidden, although the market price of similar drones is around $8,000–$10,000.
According to media reports, a scheme for siphoning off the received funds was built through RPE "Ajax", LLC "Strym Tehno", and foreign structures—Ajax Systems Cyprus Holdings Ltd (Cyprus) and Ajax Systems Trading DMCC (UAE). The involvement of state enterprises "Ukrspecexport" and "Ukroboronservis" in the model allowed combining state resources with private business and accumulating profits in foreign jurisdictions.
In parallel, according to journalists, Konotopskyi controls the company SkyFall Industries, which produces "Vampire" heavy strike drones (also known as "Baba Yaga"). The volumes of these contracts and non-tender procurements have sparked sharp criticism within the MilTech community.
Public organizations have already submitted official complaints and reports of criminal offenses demanding an investigation into the concentration of 40 billion in budget funds, the pricing of "Vampire" UAVs, and the withdrawal of profits through Cyprus, the UAE, and a network of individual entrepreneurs (FOPs).
Despite this, the Ukrainian UAV market continues to develop, and new players are appearing on it. One of them is Aero Center, a company created in 2022 by Ihor Poliakov and Ihor Matviiuk. They produce not only drones but also ammunition, base stations, and antennas. In August 2025, their "UD-10" strike drone received official clearance from the Ministry of Defense and is already operating at the front. Currently, the developers are testing another new product—the "Terminator" drone. However, successes at testing grounds did not save the company from a financial crisis: at the beginning of 2026, Aero Center simply ran out of money. To settle debts and find funding, the founders had to sell the manufacturing operations to new owners.
Change of founders of LLC "Aero Center Drones": control over the specialized asset passed to new beneficiaries: Serhii Fomin (former co-owner of a MilTech R&D company, Dwarf Engineering) received a controlling stake of 58%; Oleksandr Moskalenko (also ex-co-owner of Dwarf Engineering) received 29%; Oleksandr Kokhanovskyi received 13% and headed the company as CEO. One of the founders, Ihor Matviiuk, lost his ownership stake but remained in the position of director of the legal entity.
Interestingly, the rights to the "Aero Center" trademark belong to the original firm of the same name, represented by Hanna Maiboroda. She is known as an Odesa judge and wife of Denys Maiboroda—a former co-owner of Dwarf Engineering who, in the spring of 2026, headed the reorganization commission of the state enterprise "Diia."
After the change of owners, the company immediately launched active operations. Already in March 2026, the new head of Aero Center, Oleksandr Kokhanovskyi, traveled to the USA as part of the Brave1 US Roadshow tour. He visited six American cities-Boston, New York, Washington, Dallas, Austin, and San Francisco—where he presented the project to representatives of the US Congress. In May, Kokhanovskyi, as the company's CEO, was already reporting to the press about initial successes at the front. According to him, ten "Terminator" drones destroyed a truck and several occupiers near Bakhmut without any connection to an operator.
Indirect connections between Aero Center, Skyfall Industries, and the inner circle of Oleksandr Konotopskyi also attract special attention. In March 2026, representatives of Aero Center attended "Arsenal of Talents 2026," a conference for recruiting defense sector specialists. In the company's Instagram post, a photo of a drone was published that visually resembled the P1-SUN interceptor drone produced by Skyfall Industries. At the same time, Skyfall Industries and Dwarf Engineering were listed among the official partners of the event on its website.
Another public overlap can be traced through state events. In April 2026, during the European Business Summit, Deputy Minister for Strategic Industries Anna Hvozdiar reported that P1-SUN interceptor drones produced by Skyfall Industries had destroyed about 3,000 Russian Shahed-type drones. At the same time, a year earlier, in 2025, Hvozdiar visited Aero Center's production facilities, demonstrating her interaction with both drone manufacturers.
Open digital connections between market participants are also of certain interest. According to public social media profiles, the majority owner of LLC "Aero Center Drones," Serhii Fomin, follows the pages of Oleksandr Konotopskyi and Ajax Systems.
Additionally, the participation of these companies in the state defense cluster Brave1 attracts attention. The ecosystem includes Skyfall Industries, Dwarf Engineering, and Aero Center. According to official data, as of 2025, the Brave1 cluster united around 1,500 Ukrainian defense technology developers, creating a single professional environment for interaction among its participants.
Public overlaps can also be traced between Oleksandr Konotopskyi and the leadership of the state's digital transformation. In 2025, Bornyakov and Konotopskyi spoke together again during the panel discussion "The Tech Sector as a Catalyst for the Ukrainian Economic Miracle," organized as part of the third anniversary of Diia.City.
Drone production may be located in the premises of the Ajax Systems company. Photographs taken during the visit of EU representative Josep Borrell may indicate a possible connection to Ajax's production facilities. In particular, windows of the same format are visually noticeable in photos from Josep Borrell's visit and in photos of Ajax employee Oleksandr Tsopa. It is also noted that Ajax production uses work surfaces similar to those seen in the production of Shrike drones. Furthermore, there are assumptions that the production of Shrike and Vampire drones may be located in the same building, as similar interior elements are visible in the photos—specifically, the grey room partitioning and the matching wall color near the windows.
Shrike Production (Borrell's Visit)
Photo of Ajax employee, Oleksandr Tsopa
Vampire Production
Additionally, the participation of these companies in the state defense cluster Brave1 attracts attention. The ecosystem includes Skyfall Industries, Dwarf Engineering, and Aero Center. According to official data, as of 2025, the Brave1 cluster united around 1,500 Ukrainian defense technology developers, creating a single professional environment for interaction among its participants.
Public overlaps can also be traced between Oleksandr Konotopskyi and the leadership of the state's digital transformation. In 2025, Bornyakov and Konotopskyi spoke together again during the panel discussion "The Tech Sector as a Catalyst for the Ukrainian Economic Miracle," organized as part of the third anniversary of Diia.City.
Drone production may be located in the premises of the Ajax Systems company. Photographs taken during the visit of EU representative Josep Borrell may indicate a possible connection to Ajax's production facilities. In particular, windows of the same format are visually noticeable in photos from Josep Borrell's visit and in photos of Ajax employee Oleksandr Tsopa. It is also noted that Ajax production uses work surfaces similar to those seen in the production of Shrike drones. Furthermore, there are assumptions that the production of Shrike and Vampire drones may be located in the same building, as similar interior elements are visible in the photos—specifically, the grey room partitioning and the matching wall color near the windows.
Shrike Production (Borrell's Visit)
Photo of Ajax employee, Oleksandr Tsopa
Vampire Production