Dorozvidka #66: Azhnyuk and Shymkiv on the Stark contrast, General Cherry’s new apartment, plus SKIFTECH, Farsight Vision and BlueBird

In this edition of Dorozvidka:

• Stark raises €500 million at a €3.2 billion valuation. How did Ukrainian entrepreneurs react?
• Yaroslav Azhnyuk on defence technologies, arms exports and digital sovereignty;
• Ukraine strengthens defence cooperation with Denmark, with Drone Deal and anti-ballistic capabilities in focus;
• General Cherry buys an apartment confiscated from Artemy Lebedev;
• Viktoriia Yaremchuk joins the Defence Forward podcast;
• Ukraine’s SKIFTECH and Malaysia’s Grayline sign a strategic partnership memorandum;
• BlueBird introduces video output for Chuika and launches 3D printing as a service.

Stark raises €500m at a €3.2bn valuation

German strike drone manufacturer Stark Defence raised €500 million, Bloomberg reported last week. The funding round was led by Sequoia Capital and Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, valuing the company at €3.2 billion.

Stark has maintained a presence in Ukraine almost since the project’s inception. In March 2026, the company announced plans to open an R&D centre in Ukraine that will employ more than 200 specialists. 

Stark Ukraine COO Maksym Cherkis previously told Defender Media that the new centre would allow local engineers to independently improve the company’s drones and propose new solutions to headquarters. As a result, Virtus — Stark’s flagship strike drone — will receive upgrades more rapidly.

Read more: https://thedefender.media/uk/2026/03/stark-transformation/

Ukrainian defence tech entrepreneurs on the “Stark contrast”

Stark’s massive funding round sparked lively discussion among Ukrainian defence entrepreneurs on social media.

Writing on Facebook, The Fourth Law and Odd Systems co-founder Yaroslav Azhnyuk congratulated the German company on its success, while also pointing to what he called the “Stark contrast.”

According to Azhnyuk, funding rounds raised by Western defence companies are often comparable in size to the annual revenues of their Ukrainian counterparts. At the same time, the annual revenues of many Western defence startups resemble the investment rounds typically raised by Ukrainian companies — anywhere from zero to a few million dollars.

His comments prompted reactions from other Ukrainian entrepreneurs. Among them was Aerodrone co-owner Dmytro Shymkiv, who argued that Ukrainian companies with real revenues, sustainable production and battlefield-proven technologies remain significantly undervalued.

“Meanwhile, many of our competitors in Europe and the United States are raising hundreds of millions for technologies that would hardly survive real combat conditions — and in many cases have already demonstrated exactly that,” Shymkiv wrote.

According to him, while Ukraine continues to fight, expand production and improve its technologies under constant battlefield pressure, foreign competitors are using Ukrainian experience to attract investment in markets that are “often more willing to fund polished presentations, animations and AI-generated videos than technologies proven on the battlefield.”

Shymkiv believes Ukraine’s defence industry must learn to better protect its know-how, innovations, software, component base and intellectual property.

Yaroslav Azhnyuk on defence tech, arms exports and digital sovereignty

Meanwhile, Ukraїner has released a three-hour interview with Yaroslav Azhnyuk on YouTube.

During the conversation, he discusses:

• How Ukraine can be the first to export its defence technologies abroad while maintaining its technological edge over the enemy through continuous innovation;
• What digital sovereignty means and how Ukraine can preserve it;
• Why large corporations can sometimes wield more influence than entire states.

Ukraine deepens defence cooperation with Denmark, focusing on Drone Deal and anti-ballistic capabilities

Ukraine’s Minister of Defence, Mykhailo Fedorov, met with his Danish counterpart, Jeppe Bruus, to discuss next steps to scale up Ukrainian defence technologies, strengthen anti-ballistic capabilities, and secure additional funding for the Ukrainian Defence Forces.

According to Fedorov, a key focus of the talks was expanding the Drone Deal initiative. The two countries also agreed to develop joint programmes supporting defence startups and security technologies.

Another priority is a European anti-ballistic project. “We are counting on Denmark’s support in developing Ukraine’s own solution to counter ballistic threats,” Fedorov said.

The ministers also discussed unlocking €6 billion under the European Peace Facility, which could be allocated to the Ukrainian Defence Forces’ critical needs.

General Cherry buys apartment confiscated from Artemy Lebedev

Ukrainian defence company General Cherry has purchased a Kyiv apartment confiscated from Russian designer and propagandist Artemy Lebedev at auction.

The acquisition was announced by a company representative during an industry event in Kyiv on 30 June.

The 138.5-square-metre apartment is located in central Kyiv. It was confiscated under sanctions imposed by Ukraine against Lebedev in 2022 after he openly supported Russia’s full-scale invasion and visited the occupied city of Enerhodar.

According to the company, the apartment will be converted into a rehearsal space for Ukrainian military music groups.

Last month, Defender Media reported that General Cherry and Ukrainian rap group Nord Division had launched a strategic partnership under the slogan “Moving Together.”

Viktoriia Yaremchuk joins the Defence Forward podcast

In the latest episode of the English-language Defence Forward podcast, Farsight Vision co-founder and CEO Viktoriia Yaremchuk explains why up-to-date battlefield data, digital twins and realistic training environments have become essential to modern defence.

The conversation also explores Farsight Vision’s evolution, the role of geospatial intelligence and why software ecosystems are now just as important as hardware technologies.

Ukraine’s SKIFTECH and Malaysia’s Grayline sign strategic partnership

Ukrainian defence tech company SKIFTECH and Malaysia’s Grayline have signed a memorandum of understanding during Eurosatory 2026.

The partnership will focus on jointly developing advanced tactical training solutions, exchanging expertise and delivering future projects across Southeast Asia.

SKIFTECH develops military training simulators for service members, law enforcement personnel, and instructors.

BlueBird introduces video output for Chuika and launches 3D printing service

BlueBird Tech has added an integrated analogue video output to its Chuika drone detector, using a four-pin mini-jack connector. The new feature allows intercepted video feeds from enemy FPV drones to be displayed on large monitors inside field shelters and command posts.

According to the company, the video-output version of Chuika is not a standard production model. Instead, it is available exclusively as an optional feature built to individual customer requirements. The detector’s standard configuration remains unchanged and does not include additional accessories.

BlueBird is also launching a new business line focused on 3D printing as a service. The company will manufacture custom parts, housings and components for technological devices and defence equipment.

The service is designed to help military units and industry partners rapidly produce components of varying complexity — from small parts and mounting brackets to components for unmanned systems, communications equipment, robotic platforms and other advanced defence technologies.