The Kyiv Independent Live in London: 
'Rumors are slightly exaggerated' — Fire Point co-owner speaks out after reported assassination attempt
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Denys Shtilierman, co-owner and chief engineer of Ukrainian defense company Fire Point, pushed back on reports on Oct. 1 that he had been wounded and one of his bodyguards had been killed in an alleged assassination attempt near Kyiv.
"Rumors about my death, or the death of my bodyguards, are slightly exaggerated," Shtilerman wrote on X.
Earlier in the day, Russian-Israeli military journalist Sergey Auslender, author of the Russian-language Telegram channel "Voyna s Ordoy" ("War with the Horde" in English), said, citing an unnamed source while stressing the information required further verification, that there had been an assassination attempt against Shtilierman near Kyiv.
Auslender claimed that Shtilierman was lightly wounded, one of his bodyguards was killed, and the attackers were neutralized.
Shtilierman neither confirmed nor denied reports that he and his security guards had been attacked in his social media post.
A Fire Point communications representative separately told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that reports of an assassination attempt were fabricated.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the reports, and no Ukrainian authorities had officially confirmed such an incident at the time of publication.
The Ukrainian defense company Fire Point, founded in 2022, is one of the country's leading weapons manufacturers, specializing in drones and missiles.
Fire Point plans to complete development of its FP-9 ballistic missile by the end of autumn, with a stated range of up to 850 kilometers (530 miles). It is also finalizing work on the FP-7 ballistic missile, which has a range of up to 300 kilometers (185 miles).
One of the biggest winners of Ukraine's wartime defense spending, Fire Point's history is not without controversy. The company has faced intense scrutiny amid a major corruption investigation into Timur Mindich, a former business associate of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Audio recordings released as part of the investigation appeared to confirm links between Mindich and Fire Point.
Last year, the Kyiv Independent was the first to report that Mindich was alleged to be the company's unofficial beneficiary. Fire Point has denied any connection to Mindich.
