The Ukrainian «Unmanned Systems Research Center» (USRC), known for developing the «General Chereshnia» FPV drones, has lost 135,000 UAH to a cyber-fraud scheme during an unofficial procurement of components. In late March 2025, company representatives transferred the funds to a shell account in an attempt to purchase scarce drone microchips but never received the order.
Currently, the company’s operations are completely classified, and all mentions of the entity have been wiped from public state registries for security reasons.
The incident unfolded after a USRC manager posted a public request regarding the need for specific hardware components. Fraudsters responded to the inquiry, offering to sell a batch of 150 Radio master XR4 Gemini Xrossband Dual-Band 915M/2.4G microchips at a price of 900 UAH per unit. The scammers utilized sophisticated phishing tools to seal the deal.
The victim was sent a malicious link disguised as a legitimate order and payment gateway. Upon entering the company’s banking credentials, the USRC accounting department authorized a 135,000 UAH transaction on March 24, 2025. The funds were routed to a PrivatBank account registered under a fraudulent sole proprietorship (FOP).
Once the money hit the account, the criminals immediately initiated a classic asset-scattering scheme. The laundering process involved a rapid chain of transfers between various cards and banking institutions, severely complicating the tracking and recovery of the capital. Naturally, the promised drone components were never shipped.
Contextual Background: Industry experts note that due to severe hardware shortages and the necessity of operating under strict operational security, Ukrainian defense developers are frequently forced to seek alternative, informal supply channels. This operational reality leaves the defense sector highly vulnerable to cybercriminals exploiting wartime logistics.
Law enforcement agencies are currently investigating the fraud case. This incident underscores the critical need for tighter cybersecurity protocols, even during urgent or classified military procurements.