Scandal over fiber-optic drone tender: “General Chereshnya” vs. Sternenko

Ukrainian drone manufacturer “General Chereshnya FPV” has entered into a public conflict with Serhiy Sternenko, an associate of former Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov.

The dispute unfolded on Facebook amid accusations of a lack of transparency in the conduct of a state tender for fiber-optic drones.

The company “General Chereshnya FPV” accused the state Defense Procurement Agency of violations in organizing the tender. Among the specific complaints were: conducting the procedure outside the Prozorro platform, distributing tender documentation to a limited circle of participants, overly narrow technical requirements, and short deadlines for submitting bids. According to the manufacturer, the procurement terms were written to suit specific companies. “General Chereshnya” demanded that the procurement be halted and conducted through Prozorro, and also announced that it had filed a complaint with the NABU.

Sternenko took the opposite position. According to him, “Chereshnya” is attempting to block a tender whose requirements it does not itself meet, and that the procurement requirements “correspond to the needs of the army.” Sternenko warned that the manufacturer’s actions could derail a tender for hundreds of thousands of FPV drones.

“In effect, the commercial interests of one manufacturer are now putting a large-scale drone procurement for the front at risk,” — Sternenko said.

In addition, Sternenko accused “General Chereshnya” of supplying low-quality drones, citing complaints from military personnel.

The conflict is unfolding against the backdrop of a broader struggle over the drone market. Supporters of Fedorov claim that one of the main reasons for his resignation as minister was his resistance to corrupt schemes for distributing orders in favor of companies close to President Volodymyr Zelensky — in particular, FirePoint. Media outlets close to Zelensky, in turn, accuse Fedorov himself of lobbying for the interests of a number of drone manufacturers — including the company Skyfall and its head Oleksandr Konotopsky.