The Defense Work Department of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration has awarded a series of procurement contracts for Starlink Internet Satellite Mini portable terminals totaling 10.8 million UAH throughout 2026. According to data analyzed from the Prozorro state procurement system, the purchase price for the high-speed satellite modems manufactured by SpaceX ranged between 15.9K and 17.8K UAH per unit. The lion’s share of the contracts went to entities with hidden corporate registries, market newcomers, and young individual entrepreneurs managing multi-million turnovers.
The largest volume of orders was secured by the Kyiv-based LLC «Kalheon,» which signed three contracts since the beginning of the year. The initial value of the deals stood at 4.9 million UAH, though it was later adjusted down to 4 million UAH.
Currently, the company’s registration data is officially classified. This measure is tied to the fact that LLC «Kalheon» is a direct manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles — specifically, the «Ukropchyk» FPV drones.
Another 2.56 million UAH in public funds will go to the Odesa-based LLC «Khabyks.» Established just in January 2024, the company has managed to become a top favorite in defense procurement within just a year and a half. Through the Prozorro system, it has secured 588 orders totaling a staggering 1.006 billion UAH. Since May 2024, the company has been owned by Vladyslav Polishchuk and managed by Yevhen Tuptchiy, who is also known as the co-founder of the «Bezpechne Misto» (Safe City) non-governmental organization.
A contract worth 1.6 million UAH was signed with the Kyiv-based LLC «Export Master» (founded in September 2023). Over its brief existence, the firm has accumulated 104 government orders worth 89 million UAH, supplying primarily quadcopters, external antennas, and signal amplifiers.
The sole owner of the enterprise is practicing attorney Kostiantyn Sobchenko, who carries a controversial political background:
In 2012, he served as an election commission secretary representing the pro-Russian party «Rus Yedyna» (known until 2007 as the «Party of Putin’s Policy»), which is currently officially banned in Ukraine.
In 2020, Sobchenko ran for the Kyiv City Council under the banner of the «YEDNIST of Oleksandr Omelchenko» party.
By late 2022, he headed the Kyiv city branch of the «My z Ukrayiny» (We are from Ukraine) political party.
Notably, a charitable organization sharing the exact same name, «MBF My z Ukrayiny,» is registered at the same office address as LLC «Export Master.» Its founders include the political party’s leader, Yevheniy Dudko, and the businessman’s brother, Oleksiy Sobchenko.
The remaining bids, valued at 1.7 million UAH and 890K UAH, were awarded to two young individual entrepreneurs (FOPs) who registered their businesses only in 2023:
32-year-old Vladyslav Los (contracts totaling 6.6 million UAH). This entrepreneur focuses exclusively on satellite systems. Intriguingly, his resume seeking a sales manager role remained active on the Robota.ua job portal until December 2024—meaning he was job hunting while actively securing major government contracts.
23-year-old Nataliia Vynychuk (254 orders totaling 41.1 million UAH). Vynychuk supplies a broad spectrum of hardware, ranging from robotics kits to 3D printers. She is registered at the same address and shares an email address with another entrepreneur, Olena Hordiienko (who holds 559 orders worth 37 million UAH). Hordiienko previously drew media attention for supplying latest-model iPhones to local village councils.
As a reminder, the specialized Defense Work Department of the Zaporizhzhia Regional State Administration, which ordered the equipment, was established in July 2023. It has been headed by Maksym Halutskyi since August 2024.