FAS reveals outcome of procurement scandals at Tomsk drone center
The drone center was established in Tomsk in 2025.
The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has ordered the Tomsk center for unmanned systems (the Unmanned Aerial Systems Scientific and Production Center, or NPTS BAS) to procure goods and services through competitive tenders. Previously, law enforcement agencies had exposed the organization for unjustified waste of budget funds. This was reported to journalists by Vadim Aliev, head of the Tomsk FAS office.
The «Unmanned Aerial Systems Scientific and Production Center of Tomsk Region» (NPTS BAS TO) is the largest center beyond the Urals specializing in the development, testing, and serial production of drones. The center opened in 2025 using a subsidy (over 2 billion rubles, approx. $24 million at current rates) from the national project «Unmanned Aerial Systems.»
As Vadim Aliev clarified, the drone center is structured as an ANO (Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization). ANOs are not subject to regulation and control under procurement law. This means they can procure goods and services without competitive tenders. However, the center is funded from the state budget.
«Reviewing the BAS case, we established that certain problems had arisen. Without an act describing a procedure based on law, the organization was able to abuse the system. There was an opportunity to procure goods, works, and services from suppliers without oversight. Law enforcement agencies, as far as I know, reviewed the case. There was unjustified waste of funds. We ordered them to carry out procurement in the public domain, that is, to conduct tenders,» Vadim Aliev told journalists.
He noted that the drone center has already complied with the order and adopted procurement regulations. That means all necessary goods and services are now procured by the organization in accordance with Federal Law No. 223-FZ. Vadim Aliev emphasized that this will help avoid many corruption risks in the future.
In 2015, the company «SOIS Consult» filed a complaint that 2.5 billion rubles (approx. $30 million at current rates) in budget funds were spent to create the ANO without holding competitive tenders. Furthermore, the Tomsk FAS office reported that the organization issued 40 price quotation requests for the supply of equipment totaling over 1.5 billion rubles (approx. $18 million). No competitive procurement was conducted.
