Former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been appointed as an advisor to the Ukrainian defense company Fire Point, the Associated Press (AP) reported, citing information from the company itself. The appointment is effective from November 12.
Fire Point's CTO, Irina Terek, said that Pompeo's joining is a "great honor" and part of the company's efforts to establish transparency and high corporate standards at a time when Fire Point is becoming "a large international company". In addition to Pompeo, three other experts have joined the advisory board.
Fire Point is among the fastest-growing manufacturers in Ukraine’s defense sector. The company produces, among other products, the new Ukrainian Flamingo cruise missiles that Kiev plans to use to increase its long-range capabilities. Fire Point is also building a plant in Denmark to produce jet engines. Management said production is on schedule but declined to provide specifics for security reasons.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian anti-corruption authorities are investigating possible violations in Fire Point’s contracts to supply drones to the Defense Ministry. According to an August report by the Kyiv Independent, the company’s beneficiary is businessman Timur Mindych, a close friend of President Volodymyr Zelensky, who is also involved in an investigation by the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) into bribery in the Ukrainian energy sector.
Iryna Terek told the AP that Fire Point “fully supports the investigation” and awaits its results. The company has also commissioned an independent international audit to confirm the transparency of its operations.