The National Association of the Defense Industry of Ukraine has expressed deep concern over the searches conducted at "Vyriy," a drone manufacturer.

"Vyriy is one of the pioneers in the Ukrainian FPV drone market and one of the largest domestic manufacturers of components for their production. In recent years, the company has been steadily increasing its production capacity, expanding its product range, and making a significant contribution to supplying Ukraine's security and defense forces with modern unmanned systems. Of particular concern is the fact that the investigative actions were preceded by a large-scale negative media campaign targeting the company. At the same time, any legal assessments and procedural decisions must be based exclusively on the results of an objective and impartial investigation, rather than on media pressure or public assessments," reads a statement published on Facebook.

The association said it respects the work of law enforcement agencies and the need to conduct investigations in cases provided for by law.

"At the same time, we call on the State Bureau of Investigations and the Prosecutor General's Office to ensure that all procedural actions are carried out in such a way as to prevent the unjustified disruption of the company's operations, the disruption of production processes, or the fulfillment of contracts to meet the needs of Ukrainian defenders. Today, every enterprise in the defense-industrial complex that manufactures products for the front lines is a vital component of the state's defense capability. That is precisely why it is extremely important to ensure the uninterrupted operation of production facilities, on which the timely supply of weapons and military equipment depends," the statement reads.

The association expects that once the necessary investigative actions are completed, the company will be able to resume its operations as usual.

As previously reported, the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) conducted searches at Vyriy Industries, as well as at the home of its owner, Oleksiy Babenko, a co-owner of the Babel online publication. According to law enforcement officials, the investigative actions are being conducted in connection with the possible overpricing of drones that were supplied to the state in 2025 under multi-billion contracts.

"Investigators are examining the possible artificial inflation of the cost of drones that were supplied to the state in 2025 under multi-billion contracts," the SBI's press service told Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday.

According to the bureau, the price increase may have resulted from the unjustified inclusion of inflated production, administrative, and other costs in the cost price.