The trial regarding the seizure of property and funds seized during searches at the drone manufacturer “Vyriy Industries” and its partners was postponed due to the workload of the Pechersk District Court.
This was reported by Vyriy Industries.
The case will then be heard in absentia, with a decision expected on Tuesday. Lawyers for “Vyriy Industries” provided the court with written objections to the arrest, as well as documents confirming that the funds were intended for salary and tax payments.
“We expect the court to evaluate all the evidence provided and make a fair decision,” said the “Vyriy Industries” CEO Oleksiy Babenko.
The company insists that the funds must be returned, as there are documents confirming their legality, and also notes that it uses legal payment mechanisms.
What preceded
During searches on July 7, 2026, the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) seized UAH 32 141 310, which was intended to pay salaries to the companyʼs employees.
On the same day, Babenko held a press conference, where he said that searches were conducted at more than 40 locations, including the company and Babenkoʼs relatives. There was no court order for the searches — they were carried out as "urgent actions". It is currently unknown who is accused in the case. Babenko is testifying as a witness.
The main complaint of law enforcement officers is the inflated price of “Vyriyu” drones. According to the State Bureau of Investigation, in 2025 the company signed contracts with the Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) for UAH 6.95 billion. Law enforcement officers are checking whether the costs of production, administration, and other components were unreasonably increased.
However, Babenko cited data that shows that the cost of the companyʼs FPV drones is approximately 20% lower than on the drone market. For comparison: the average price of a 10-inch VYRIY drone is 16,314 hryvnias, while competitorsʼ drones cost 21,967 hryvnias.
Previously, Babel wrote that after the publication of the investigation into torture in the "Skelya" assault regiment, a large-scale campaign to discredit the publication and the investor began on anonymous Telegram channels and Facebook groups.
In particular, dozens of publications and videos stated that the publication was made at the request of Oleksiy Babenko and that in this way he was fighting the General Staff and playing into the hands of the Russians.
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