Businessman Tymur Mindich, who is featured in the "Midas" case, wanted to acquire a 50% stake in the Fire Point company. Negotiations lasted for a year and were unsuccessful. Mindich was refused the sale due to the identity of the person who was to become a shareholder and for a number of other reasons. This was stated by the co-owner of the Ukrainian company Fire Point and designer of the "Flamingo" missile, Denys Shtilerman, during a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada Temporary Special Commission investigating possible violations of legislation in the defense sector, anti-corruption legislation, and the observance of rights and freedoms during martial law, UNN reports.
"We were indeed in negotiations with Mindich regarding his desire to buy our share; he decided to step down (...) In March '24, the American Embassy organized tests for all deep-strike manufacturers. We were the only company—later, in the closed session, we can provide you with the report of these tests—the only company that passed these tests, passed under the influence of EW (Electronic Warfare); the only company in the world that passed under the influence of EW and hit the target. This test took place in Ukraine and was funded by the American Embassy,"
According to him, after the successful tests, a large number of people expressed a desire to become shareholders of Fire Point, and Tymur Mindich was among those interested.
"More than 20 different people offered us money. We are the only company in the world that wins an open test (...) The entire Kyiv beau monde offered money, saying 'let us become your shareholders',"
He noted that Mindich wanted to purchase a 50% stake in Fire Point for about $100 million, but this did not correspond to the company's capitalization. Later, Mindich offered $1 billion for a 50% stake in the company.
Shtilerman said that the negotiations lasted almost a year and ended after Mindich explained who his stake in the company would be registered to.
"(Mindich – ed.) proposed a person to me who would front for him as a shareholder (...) And I was not satisfied with this person (...) And I said, let's part ways and we will not talk about selling the stake anymore,"
In particular, according to the co-owner of Fire Point, they were only ready to sell a stake in the company for "clean money."
"I said (to Mindich - ed.), do you understand that we cannot take (money - ed.) from you in suitcases and carry it somewhere, do you understand that we need 'clean' money?"
As a reminder
In December, Fire Point handed over another batch of "Flamingo" cruise missiles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The company produces FP-1 drones, which are involved in more than 50% of all launches deep into the territory of the Russian Federation.