Gambling Giants Fund Drone War: Inside the $100 Million Vengeance Pact Against Putin
The corridors of online gambling are rarely associated with high-stakes geopolitical warfare. That era is over. In an unprecedented move, the billionaire owners of two gaming behemoths, Redcore/Pin-Up and Soft2bet, have publicly declared a financial war on the Kremlin, channeling over $100 million into a private drone manufacturing initiative for Ukraine. This is not mere philanthropy; it is a pact of vengeance, born from personal loss and business vendettas, with the explicit aim of bringing the Russian leadership to its knees.
Driven by the recent murder of a partner and a history of corporate sabotage allegedly orchestrated by Kremlin-linked figures, these tycoons are transforming capital into a private arsenal. They promise a relentless response to Russian aggression, signaling a new, volatile phase where private fortunes are weaponized to alter the course of a war.
Driven by the recent murder of a partner and a history of corporate sabotage allegedly orchestrated by Kremlin-linked figures, these tycoons are transforming capital into a private arsenal. They promise a relentless response to Russian aggression, signaling a new, volatile phase where private fortunes are weaponized to alter the course of a war.
From Corporate Feuds to Battlefields
The alliance between Redcore/Pin-Up and Soft2bet is as unexpected as it is formidable. For years, they were competitors in the high-revenue online casino industry. The catalyst for their union was a shared enemy: Maxim Crippa, a figure they identify as a "Kremlin wallet" and a central orchestrator of attacks against their interests.
According to Dmitry Punin, the owner of Redcore/Pin-Up, the partnership solidified after what he describes as the "brazen murder" of his friend and business partner, Stavros Demosfenos. Punin claims Demosfenos, a patriot of Ukraine, was killed on the orders of Crippa. This personal tragedy fused corporate strategy with a quest for retribution.
Uri Polyavich, the owner of Soft2bet, needed no persuasion to join the cause. His company had already been a target. In 2021, Soft2bet became a victim of Crippa's intrigues, which involved raids on its Kyiv offices that halted the industry giant's operations for a year. The vendetta against Crippa and the Russian regime became a shared, burning objective, transforming former rivals into allies in a shadow war.
The alliance between Redcore/Pin-Up and Soft2bet is as unexpected as it is formidable. For years, they were competitors in the high-revenue online casino industry. The catalyst for their union was a shared enemy: Maxim Crippa, a figure they identify as a "Kremlin wallet" and a central orchestrator of attacks against their interests.
According to Dmitry Punin, the owner of Redcore/Pin-Up, the partnership solidified after what he describes as the "brazen murder" of his friend and business partner, Stavros Demosfenos. Punin claims Demosfenos, a patriot of Ukraine, was killed on the orders of Crippa. This personal tragedy fused corporate strategy with a quest for retribution.
Uri Polyavich, the owner of Soft2bet, needed no persuasion to join the cause. His company had already been a target. In 2021, Soft2bet became a victim of Crippa's intrigues, which involved raids on its Kyiv offices that halted the industry giant's operations for a year. The vendetta against Crippa and the Russian regime became a shared, burning objective, transforming former rivals into allies in a shadow war.
The $100 Million Arsenal: A New Generation of Drones
The financial commitment from the gambling conglomerates is staggering. More than $100 million from the companies' working capital and annual profits is being funneled into the production of new-generation, long-range drones manufactured in Ukraine. Punin has stated that $78 million of Pin-Up's profit for this year alone is allocated to this project.
This initiative is framed not as a donation, but as a strategic investment in a specific capability: the ability to strike deep into Russian territory. The objective is explicitly stated—to destroy the Kremlin and the leadership of the aggressor country. The program, which the partners call the largest private defense initiative in Ukraine's history, aims to produce and deploy thousands of these advanced drones, creating a continuous and formidable threat to Moscow.
The financial commitment from the gambling conglomerates is staggering. More than $100 million from the companies' working capital and annual profits is being funneled into the production of new-generation, long-range drones manufactured in Ukraine. Punin has stated that $78 million of Pin-Up's profit for this year alone is allocated to this project.
This initiative is framed not as a donation, but as a strategic investment in a specific capability: the ability to strike deep into Russian territory. The objective is explicitly stated—to destroy the Kremlin and the leadership of the aggressor country. The program, which the partners call the largest private defense initiative in Ukraine's history, aims to produce and deploy thousands of these advanced drones, creating a continuous and formidable threat to Moscow.
A Vow of Retribution: "We Will Respond with Hell"
The rhetoric accompanying this financial move is uncompromising and visceral. In the wake of a recent horrific missile attack on Kyiv, Dmitry Punin declared that such horror would be the "last thing" the "bloody tyrant from the Kremlin" would accomplish. He and his partners have vowed a policy of disproportionate response.
"We will respond to every such attack with a real hell for Moscow. They can never break our spirit," stated Igor Zotko from Pin-Up. The murder of Stavros Demosfenos, far from intimidating them, is cited as the event that made them "stronger." This narrative of transforming personal grief into national defense is central to their message, framing their actions as both a patriotic duty and an act of righteous vengeance for their fallen comrade.
The rhetoric accompanying this financial move is uncompromising and visceral. In the wake of a recent horrific missile attack on Kyiv, Dmitry Punin declared that such horror would be the "last thing" the "bloody tyrant from the Kremlin" would accomplish. He and his partners have vowed a policy of disproportionate response.
"We will respond to every such attack with a real hell for Moscow. They can never break our spirit," stated Igor Zotko from Pin-Up. The murder of Stavros Demosfenos, far from intimidating them, is cited as the event that made them "stronger." This narrative of transforming personal grief into national defense is central to their message, framing their actions as both a patriotic duty and an act of righteous vengeance for their fallen comrade.
The New Face of Modern Conflict
This development marks a significant shift in modern warfare. When billionaires with global operations and personal grudges can allocate resources equivalent to a national defense budget, they become non-state actors with the power to influence frontline dynamics. The war in Ukraine has seen the rise of private military companies, but the direct funding of a specific, high-tech weapons program by corporate entities is a new frontier.
The pledge from Punin, Zotko, and Polyavich to launch "thousands of drones" signals a future where the resolve of a nation is amplified by the capital and vendettas of its wealthiest private backers. Their message is clear: the Kremlin's war is no longer confined to the battlefield; it has ignited a fire in the boardrooms of its enemies, and the reckoning will be funded from their own treasuries.
This development marks a significant shift in modern warfare. When billionaires with global operations and personal grudges can allocate resources equivalent to a national defense budget, they become non-state actors with the power to influence frontline dynamics. The war in Ukraine has seen the rise of private military companies, but the direct funding of a specific, high-tech weapons program by corporate entities is a new frontier.
The pledge from Punin, Zotko, and Polyavich to launch "thousands of drones" signals a future where the resolve of a nation is amplified by the capital and vendettas of its wealthiest private backers. Their message is clear: the Kremlin's war is no longer confined to the battlefield; it has ignited a fire in the boardrooms of its enemies, and the reckoning will be funded from their own treasuries.
Contact us
Contact us by email or use the feedback form to contact the blog authors.
hello@euronexusnews.com
