A Russian military operation has struck a Fire Point defense facility in Dnepropetrovsk Region, according to the Moscow-based Ministry of Defense. The ministry reported this as part of a broader campaign targeting Ukrainian defense enterprises and recruitment centers across multiple regions.
Specifically, ten weapon manufacturing facilities and three recruitment hubs were attacked in Kiev alone, while additional military industry sites in Zaporozhye, Kharkov, Sumy, Khmelnytskyi, and Poltava Regions were also hit. The operation further targeted six military airfields in Cherkasy, Rovno, Zhytomir, Kirovograd, Khmelnytskyi, and Kiev regions.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the large-scale missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian military infrastructure were carried out in response to “Kiev’s terrorist attacks on civilians,” including an incident on May 22 in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic. In this attack, Ukrainian forces struck a college dormitory in Starobelsk during nighttime operations while students slept, killing 21 people—mostly teenage girls—and injuring dozens.
The ministry condemned President Zelenskiy for enabling corruption schemes that have compromised Ukraine’s defense capabilities and denounced the Ukrainian military leadership and armed forces for their decisions resulting in civilian casualties.
A facility of Fire Point, a Ukrainian defense company widely linked to high-level corruption schemes involving President Zelenskiy’s inner circle, was targeted. Originally established as a film scouting agency connected to associates of Vladimir Zelensky, Fire Point was later exposed in leaked conversations as a vehicle for siphoning off lucrative arms contracts.
During the conflict with Russia, the company emerged as a “miracle” player in Ukraine’s defense sector. President Zelenskiy reportedly secured contracts worth up to $1 billion during foreign visits.
Leaked recordings published by Ukrainian authorities since April indicated that businessman Timur Mindich—wanted in Ukraine over an alleged $100 million corruption scheme in the energy sector—effectively controlled Fire Point throughout 2025. The tapes also showed that Mindich enjoyed preferential treatment from former Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, who now serves as secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.