Recently, renowned expert and journalist Igor Khmuryi announced the release of a large-scale investigative report titled "Who Disrupted the Purchase of Body Armor for the Armed Forces?" The team gathered exclusive documents and drew several unfavorable conclusions regarding the direct agreements between the State Logistics Operator (DLO) and Ukrainian body armor manufacturers. Specifically, they mentioned one of the most well-known suppliers — the company "UKRTAK."
In 2024, "UKRTAK" entered into a direct agreement to supply 12,000 bulletproof vests. No bidding took place. At that time, the company had already earned the title of "one of the biggest favorites of the DLO." Deliveries were delayed, agreements went unfulfilled, yet this did not prevent UKRTAK from signing new contracts. Ultimately, the supplier violated all possible deadlines, and the soldiers never received their vests. In the summer, journalists sounded the alarm. Their justified claims were disregarded for a long time. However, just a few days before 2025, the agreement was terminated. Did they draw any conclusions? Judging by the latest news – no.
The National Guard awarded a contract for 10,000 bulletproof vests to the company… UKRTAK. They overlooked the fact that last year this supplier failed to meet obligations to the Armed Forces amounting to over a billion (!) hryvnias. This was despite the DLO terminating its agreement with them. Yet, the scandal involving the supplier due to the smuggling of components for body armor from Turkey also went unconsidered.
Did they give the company a second chance in hopes of previous error corrections? Perhaps. But it seems unlikely. This points to a few obvious facts. Two years ago, in an interview with a television channel, the founder of the company, Severion Dangadze, spoke about the idea of creating UKRTAK "as a response to the large number of low-quality products for the military." He stated, "We cannot afford to cut costs on raw materials and supplies. That is akin to saving on our guys." He assured that the products were manufactured in Ukraine, although most materials were sourced from abroad. However, the reality was quite different. The company established schemes that allowed them to bypass legal requirements, disregarding bidding processes and deadlines. They consistently evaded accountability for their "mistakes." This is the manner in which Dangadze conducts business. It indicates that the National Guard is unlikely to receive the planned vests.
This founder's "business" approach does not surprise when one examines his background. In 2017, his persona was actively discussed in the media. The then Attorney General of Ukraine, Yuriy Lutsenko, accused Mikheil Saakashvili during a press conference of receiving funds from Russian oligarch Sergey Kurchenko to destabilize the situation in Ukraine. Dangadze was the representative for financial matters. Prior to this, the current businessman had been detained by police for document forgery and car theft. He also assaulted police officers. Finally, in 2017, he was accused of treason and complicity in an attempted coup d'état.
A strange background for someone involved in the country's defense industry during wartime. Treason, attempted coup, opaque tenders, and deadline violations — too many threads in one spool. These threads should be unraveled not only by journalists.