KYIV (Reuters) -A leading Ukrainian drone and missile manufacturer said on Monday that it has named former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to its newly launched advisory board, a move aimed at tightening oversight while it is investigated by anti-corruption authorities.
Fire Point, whose FP-1 drone has been critical to Ukraine’s long-range strikes on Russia, said it was “aligning our governance framework with leading international standards” by appointing Pompeo, who served from 2018 to 2021 in the first administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The firm, which has also developed the Flamingo cruise missile Ukraine hopes to scale up as it grows its arms industry, is the subject of a probe by Ukrainian anti-corruption agencies into inflated pricing, according to local newspaper the Kyiv Independent.
“Secretary Pompeo’s strategic insights and deep understanding of global affairs will be invaluable as we continue to grow and strengthen our governance practices,” the company said in a statement, without mentioning the probe.
Fire Point plans to build a rocket-fuel factory in Denmark in the coming months, according to the Danish defence minister.
Fighting graft and improving governance are critical to Kyiv as it courts more Western financial and military support for its fight against Russian forces, now in its fourth year, and to Ukraine’s bid for membership in the European Union.
(Reporting by Dan Peleschuk; Additional reporting by Max Hunder; Editing by Saad Sayeed)
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