Court orders Russia to pay $1.6 million for 2,107 tonnes of lost seeds

A commercial court in Luhansk Oblast has ordered Russia to pay $1.6 million to a private company for sunflower seeds lost during the occupation of Svatove. The ruling, issued by the Commercial Court of Luhansk Oblast, requires the Russian state to pay 65.36 million hryvnias to Oliiar.

The dispute traces back to October 2021. At that time, Oliiar purchased 4,700 tonnes of sunflower seeds from Prydniprovske Agrarian Company LLC. The company arranged for Svatove-Ahro LLC to store the harvest. By February 24, 2022, the storage facility had delivered 2,592 tonnes to Oliiar. This left 2,107 tonnes remaining in the Svatove warehouse.

Russian armed forces seized the warehouse premises after the full-scale invasion began. Oliiar did not recover the remaining seeds. The court found that Oliiar provided conclusive evidence linking the loss directly to Russia's armed aggression. The compensation amount was determined through an expert valuation.

The court ordered the Russian Ministry of Justice, which represents the Russian state, to make the payment. Oliiar is registered in Pustomyty in Lviv Oblast. Iryna Zalizna is listed as the founder, and Iryna Podoba serves as director.

This decision aligns with a previous ruling by the same court. That earlier judgment ordered Russia to pay 51.67 million hryvnias, or $1.25 million, to Trading House Agrokhim LLC. The earlier compensation covered property lost in Svatove and Kakhovka.