“The state always loses to private initiative” – Fire Point responds to allegations regarding the company's nationalization
Kyiv • UNN
The nationalization of Fire Point will harm Ukraine's defense capabilities and slow down the development of critically important military programs. Denys Shtilerman, the company's chief designer and co-owner, stated that it was the private model that allowed Fire Point to rapidly scale production, reinvest profits into R&D, and become one of the key manufacturers of long-range systems in Ukraine.
Amid information regarding the alleged connection between Tymur Mindich and Fire Point, certain anti-corruption activists have begun calling for the company's nationalization. Denys Shtilerman, Chief Designer and co-owner of Fire Point, called such ideas harmful and stated that they are already beginning to affect not only the manufacturer's reputation but also the pace of implementation of Ukraine's defense programs, UNN reports.
In an interview, Shtilerman explained that every negative publication about the company automatically triggers additional checks by foreign partners and diplomatic structures.
"Any embassy has a protocol. If a well-known publication publishes negative information about their counterparty, they must take a one-month break for verification and compliance of this information,"
According to the designer, it was because of this that one of Fire Point's international projects was delayed by almost eight months.
"For example, we postponed the start of the Freya project from June 2025 to February 2026," Shtilerman noted.
This refers to a project in the field of air and missile defense, which the company calls one of the key directions for the future development of the Ukrainian defense industry. Fire Point explicitly states that any delays in such programs during a full-scale war directly strike at the country's defense capabilities. Against this background, Shtilerman reacted harshly to calls for the company's nationalization.
"The first thing taught in public administration courses is that the state never does anything more efficiently than private business. And this can be seen in any industry. Even in the space industry, the state always loses to private initiative,"
In fact, Fire Point explains that it was the private management model that allowed Ukrainian weapons manufacturers to make a technological leap after 2022. While the state sector worked for years through bureaucracy and slow procedures, private companies were able to quickly scale production, adapt technologies for the front, and reinvest profits into new developments.
According to Shtilerman, Fire Point did not withdraw funds from the company but directed them toward production expansion and R&D. According to the designer, this is exactly what allowed Fire Point to become one of the largest manufacturers of deep strike systems in Ukraine.
As a reminder
Earlier, aviation expert Kostyantyn Kryvolap stated that a large-scale raider attack might be taking place around Fire Point, the goal of which is not only to seize control of the company but also the actual destruction of one of the key Ukrainian manufacturers of long-range systems.
According to the expert, the informational and political pressure on Fire Point coincided with the company's development of new missile programs, in particular the FP-7 project and the Freya missile defense system. Kryvolap also stated that the delay or suspension of such projects directly affects Ukraine's defense capability in wartime conditions.