Luhansk Court Awards $1.6M Seed Claim

The Commercial Court of Luhansk Oblast issued a final ruling on October 24, 2026, ordering the Russian state to pay UAH 65.36 million to Oliiar. This amount equals approximately US$1.6 million and covers inventory that vanished when Russian forces took control of a storage site in Svatove. The Ministry of Justice represents Russia in this proceeding, and the compensation figure relies on an expert valuation of the lost goods.

The dispute traces back to October 2021, when Oliiar contracted to buy 4,700 tonnes of the 2021 sunflower seed harvest from Prydniprovske Agrarian Company LLC. The company arranged for Svatove-Ahro LLC to store the crop. By February 24, 2022, the warehouse had transferred 2,592 tonnes to Oliiar. The remaining 2,107 tonnes stayed in the facility when the full-scale invasion began and Russian armed groups seized the premises.

Oliiar, a private entity registered in Pustomyty in Lviv Oblast, argued that the loss was a direct result of armed aggression. Iryna Zalizna is listed as the founder, and Iryna Podoba serves as director. The court accepted this argument, finding the evidence conclusive that Russia was responsible for the missing inventory.

This decision follows a similar precedent set by the same court. Judges previously ordered Russia to pay UAH 51.67 million to Trading House Agrokhim LLC. That sum, roughly US$1.25 million, covered property lost in Svatove and in Kakhovka in Kherson Oblast.

The ruling establishes a direct financial obligation for the Russian state regarding private commercial assets in occupied territory. It confirms that commercial claims can be adjudicated and settled through the Luhansk regional courts despite the ongoing conflict.