Searches at TAF Drones of Oleksandr Yakovenko: an attempt to "seize" the business or something else?

As reported by Forbes Ukraine, on March 12, searches were conducted in the companies owned by the owner of drone manufacturer TAF Drones, Oleksandr Yakovenko, resulting in the disruption of drone production.

The searches did not take place directly at TAF Drones but at Alma, a fuel company, and Supramarine, a logistics company, both owned by Oleksandr Yakovenko. However, he stated that the accounting for these three companies is located in the same building, so no one could work. Searches in the company of a well-known volunteer are not sensational news for Ukraine, as this has become quite common. Moreover, this is not the first time he has been embroiled in a scandal related to volunteer activities—in the fall of 2022, Yakovenko was accused of "trading in humanitarian aid," but a few months later, the Odesa prosecutor’s office dropped the charges and closed the case which involved Oleksandr Yakovenko. However, neither he nor other figures received apologies.

The public previously viewed this as a "crackdown" by the authorities on volunteers, and most likely, that is exactly what it was. Especially since the wave of accusations against volunteers was widespread and not limited to only Yakovenko and Odesa. As for Oleksandr Yakovenko, he founded the drone manufacturing company TAF Drones, which, as of the end of 2024, reached a production rate of 40,000 FPV drones per month. Incidentally, in July of the previous year, an explosion occurred in one of the company’s workshops, which assembled up to 2,000 FPV drones per month, destroying it. This was an obvious act of sabotage, but the perpetrators and instigators have not yet been identified.

Thus, the reports of Oleksandr Yakovenko about the searches in his companies’ offices, which took place on March 12, logically raised suspicions that this was another attempt by Russians, using pro-Russian law enforcement officers, to destroy the drone production. This was quite transparently suggested by Oleksandr Yakovenko himself, who posted on Facebook, accusing the prosecutor of the second department of procedural guidance of the General Prosecutor’s Office overseeing the legality of the National Police of Ukraine, Ihor Chornyi, of attacking his business. He bluntly called him a “professional corrupt official and a traitor in uniform” and added that Chornyi had been arrested for bribery in 2016. Moreover, according to Oleksandr Yakovenko’s post, Prosecutor Ihor Chornyi has targeted Yakovenko’s business before.

The law enforcement position also raises questions—the search was conducted as part of an investigation into the tax credit for 164 million hryvnias of the Odesa grain trader LLC "Norma Trade Group.” Oleksandr Yakovenko claims he has never worked with this company.

Additionally, according to state registry data, Oleksandr Yakovenko has no connection to the ownership structure of LLC "Norma Trade Group"; the firm’s beneficiary is another individual.

It is possible that the companies Alma and Supramarine, whose offices were visited by the "mask shows," are somehow connected to LLC "Norma Trade Group," either through contracts or in some other way. Consequently, the accounting of LLC "TekhAvtoFart Pivden," which owns the trademark TAF Drones and produces drones, was blocked "for company.” However, this is not the end of the strange questions concerning what happened on March 12. First, no official statements regarding the searches have been found from either the Prosecutor General’s Office or the National Police. Second, Oleksandr Yakovenko’s Facebook post from March 12, in which he reported the search and referenced by Forbes, has disappeared. Immediately after the post from March 13, which mentions "yesterday’s search," there is a post from March 2. Oleksandr Yakovenko himself could only delete his post. He does not explain the reason.

In state registers, there is a series of court decisions regarding LLC "Norma Trade Group," including a criminal case, but none address the tax credit. The criminal case No. 42024160000000019 (court case No. 947/22124/24), involving LLC "Norma Trade Group," concerns circumstances for bankruptcy and illegal appropriation of property, but does not mention a tax credit. Therefore, it was not possible to determine from open sources why searches were conducted in Oleksandr Yakovenko’s offices. According to Yakovenko himself, a business partner of his is involved in this case, but if that is indeed true, the position of the National Police still seems odd, to put it mildly. Especially in light of Oleksandr Yakovenko’s statements regarding Prosecutor Chornyi’s involvement in the case.

As for Oleksandr Yakovenko himself, his name does not appear in criminal proceedings, although one publication writes the following: “In Kyiv, law enforcement conducted searches at the residence of entrepreneur Valeriy Yakovenko [the name is either deliberately or unknowingly stated incorrectly] and at the office of his company DroneUA, of which Fevzi Ametov is also a co-owner. Investigative actions were carried out as part of an investigation into possible fraud, theft of a foreign seal, and forgery of documents. Yakovenko himself has not yet commented on the situation. He has been hiding abroad for almost a year, despite the existing travel ban for men of conscription age. There is no record of his crossing the border in the State Border Guard Service database. How did he manage to leave the country without hindrance? Could this simply be an escape from justice?”

However, the name Fevzi Ametov does not appear in the list of co-owners of the company LLC "TekhAvtoFart Pivden," which manufactures drones. Oleksandr Yakovenko is the sole beneficiary of the company. Additionally, the publication LB.ua on March 18 posted a report from the discussion panel "New Country," held in Kyiv, where it is clear that Oleksandr Yakovenko is physically present at the event.

Hence, from all that is written above, the following rather unpleasant conclusions emerge. They are unpleasant primarily for the state of Ukraine, its government, and its law enforcement agencies. The searches in Oleksandr Yakovenko’s offices are not a coincidence. And that Oleksandr Yakovenko accuses Prosecutor Ihor Chornyi of involvement is most likely true. Is there a corrupt component in all of this? Draw your own conclusions. Keep in mind, besides the Russians, who are undeniably interested in destroying a powerful Ukrainian drone manufacturer, there may be other factors driving the "attack" on Oleksandr Yakovenko.

Since his drone production operates on a commercial basis. According to Oleksandr Yakovenko’s assessment, he currently occupies 4% of the Ukrainian FPV production market in monetary terms. This is a significant sum, with many interested parties. The above image shows the financial indicators of LLC "TekhAvtoFart Pivden," whose accounting was "accidentally" blocked during the search at a third-party company. Whether this was a random coincidence and lapse in the law enforcement machine is a question needing no answer. Whether Russian intelligence services are involved, and in what manner, is a question for the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) to answer. They have yet to investigate last year’s sabotage at the enterprise. Overall, it seems that Ukraine risks losing a powerful domestic drone manufacturer. And it will be Ukraine itself that destroys it. Unfortunately.