Nearly UAH 4.5 billion in government contracts in just six months — that is how quickly CDBS, co-founded by former Zaporizhzhia Regional Council member Yaroslav Hryshyn, expanded its business. The state purchased its “General Chereshnia” FPV drones at prices that in some cases exceeded those of comparable models by more than twofold. Meanwhile, technical specifications in certain tenders allegedly restricted competition in favor of a particular manufacturer. Criminal proceedings have already been initiated in connection with these procurement deals.

References to the story are now reportedly being scrubbed from the internet. We are therefore republishing the material to recall how “General Chereshnia” became a multibillion-hryvnia government business, who was behind CDBS’s rapid growth, and what questions law enforcement agencies have raised about these procurements.

Yaroslav Hryshyn, a former Zaporizhzhia Regional Council member from the UKROP party, lawyer, and co-founder of CDBS LLC (EDRPOU 45208113), registered in 2023 with authorized capital of more than UAH 50 million, turned the “General Chereshnia” FPV drone into a priority product for government contracts within just a few months.

On April 23, 2025, the drone was codified by the Main Directorate for Support and Life-Cycle Management of Weapons and Military Equipment at the Ministry of Defence, after which it began to be promoted as a basic model for an order estimated at UAH 2.5 billion, according to FTTC.

After Arsen Zhumadilov was appointed director of the Defence Procurement Agency, CDBS’s contracts with the DPA increased from just over UAH 400 million for all of 2024 to UAH 4.5 billion in the first half of 2025 alone — a tenfold increase. This accounted for about 70% of the entire government order. Hryshyn’s brother, Stanislav Hryshyn, worked as a lawyer at the State Logistics Operator during Zhumadilov’s tenure. Former SLO HR head Andrii Lavrenovych became CDBS’s HR director in January 2025. The company was headed by Oleksandr Rusakov from Hryshyn’s law firm, while Rudolf Akopyan, described as the drone’s designer and linked to Zaporizhzhia’s Armenian community, served as director of strategic communications. He was later replaced as director by Mykhailo Prasol, Hryshyn’s business partner.

The market price of comparable FPV drones ranges from UAH 10,000 to UAH 18,000, while “General Chereshnia” drones were purchased for UAH 17,900–39,000. Tender specifications were allegedly tailored to the specific product, excluding more than 20 alternative models. In Zaporizhzhia region, the company won tenders without competition worth UAH 18.45 million, UAH 5.66 million, and UAH 74.06 million, being the sole bidder in each case. Components were allegedly procured through opaque arrangements, with CDBS managers negotiating through Telegram channels without proper documentary confirmation. Company representatives allegedly threatened volunteer foundations with inspections after they refused to purchase drones at inflated prices — one commercial offer listed a price of UAH 110,000, compared with a market value of UAH 58,000–85,000.

Five criminal proceedings have been opened over these allegations: Kyiv Territorial Office of the Economic Security Bureau case No. 72025102100000026 under Part 2 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code; Economic Security Bureau of Ukraine case No. 72025001420000071 dated August 12, 2025, under Part 5 of Article 191; Melitopol Territorial Office of the State Bureau of Investigation case No. 62025080100005697 dated August 11, 2025, under Part 1 of Article 364; Kyiv Territorial Office of the State Bureau of Investigation case No. 62025100110000197 dated September 4, 2025, under Part 1 of Article 364; and Security Service of Ukraine Main Investigation Department case No. 22025101110001161 under Part 2 of Article 364. A separate case, No. 42025164690000014, concerns an alleged mobilization-dodging scheme involving fictitious reservations through a “critical enterprise,” under Part 3 of Article 368 and Part 1 of Article 114-1 of the Criminal Code.

Judge Martynov of the Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv, in case No. 761/7461/26, refused to order the SBU to initiate an investigation. Among those potentially involved are former Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, head of the relevant Ministry of Defence department V. V. Rochniak, Zhumadilov, and officials of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration.

Hryshyn previously appeared in a case concerning a fatal 2018 road accident under Part 2 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code. He was notified of suspicion in absentia, while the proceedings were later closed due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. He has also been mentioned in an investigation into the alleged embezzlement of funds from the Zaporizhzhia regional budget.