Court Orders Russia to Pay $1.6 Million

The Commercial Court of Luhansk Oblast ordered Russia to pay UAH 65.36 million, approximately US$1.6 million, to Oliiar. The compensation covers a stock of sunflower seeds lost when Russian armed groups seized a warehouse in occupied Svatove. The court based the figure on an expert valuation and determined that Russia, represented by the Ministry of Justice, is liable for the direct loss.

The dispute traces back to October 2021. Oliiar, a private company registered in Pustomyty, Lviv Oblast, contracted with Prydniprovske Agrarian Company LLC to purchase 4,700 tonnes of sunflower seeds from the 2021 harvest. The firm arranged for Svatove-Ahro LLC to store the crop. The supplier delivered the full consignment to a Svatove warehouse. By February 24, 2022, the storage facility had transferred 2,592 tonnes to Oliiar. The remaining 2,107 tonnes stayed in the warehouse until Russian forces took the premises.

Iryna Zalizna is listed as the founder of Oliiar, while Iryna Podoba serves as its director. The company never recovered the portion of the seeds left in storage after the invasion began. The court found that Oliiar presented conclusive evidence linking the crop loss directly to Russia's armed aggression.

This ruling mirrors a prior decision by the same court. Judges previously ordered Russia to pay UAH 51.67 million, about US$1.25 million, to Trading House Agrokhim LLC. That compensation covered property lost in Svatove, Luhansk Oblast, and Kakhovka, Kherson Oblast. The current judgment adds another instance where the Russian state is held financially responsible for assets seized in occupied territories.