Before the Russian invasion, Zaporizhzhia oblast, with its glory of industrial giant, has been also within five Ukrainian regions with highest gross grain yield. Russian occupation of this Ukraine’s Azov region and ongoing war deprived the region of its significant land area and rich crops and revenues. Since the beginning of occupation, Russians and their collaborators have looted grain elevators, seized crops, agricultural machines and processing enterprises.
The CJI will disclose what schemes Russian occupants use to steal with impunity and exploit occupied Ukrainian agricultural companies and enrich aggressor and its troops.
1,88 million hectares of arable land were cultivated in Zaporizhzhia region before the Russian full scale invasion, according to the Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration. As of the beginning of February 2026, the area of cultivated land reduced by more than 80% – to 380 thousand hectares. The rest has been temporary occupied and looted by Russian occupants since the beginning of occupation.
Oleg Kaliman, the manager and co-owner of renowned private farm «Tavria-Skif», told us typical story of Russian management on occupied territories of Southern Ukraine when businesses and assets of local residents have been treated by Russian occupants as their war trophy. The order of the head of Russian occupation administration in Mykhailivske village to introduce his management on occupied farm has the number «2».
«That is to say, the «head» of Russian occupation administration considered the control over assets of our farm, being the key for the well being of local community, as his priority task», as recalls the farmer.
Oleg Kaliman, manager and co-owner of private farm «Tavria-Skif»
«Tavria-Skif» is the family private farm. Its shares are owned by Oleg Kaliman, his father Anatolii Kaliman, Viktoria Kaliman, the wife of Oleg’s brother Sergii Kaliman (he left the private farm when he was elected the city mayor of neighboring Vasylivka), and brother of Viktoria – Vitalii Yurchenko. At its very beginning, the private farm was headed by Vasyl Ivanovych Yurchenko-senior, former head of local Soviet kolkhoz. Large family Kaliman-Yurchenko owns a group of agricultural businesses. The third generation also joined the business. Maksym Kaliman, the son of Oleg, owns his private enterprise «Zoryany».
Having arable land of 8 thousand hectares, greenhouse complex, gardens, oil press, a mill, a bakery with modern equipment and shops for processing and storing products, private farm «Tavria-Skif» provided jobs for over 200 local residents. It has been within the five largest suppliers of the large network of supermarkets.
Before the Russian occupation, taxes and contributions from this private farm have generated lion’s share of budgets of communities in two rural raions – Mykhailivsky and Vasylivsky. They boosted the development of rural social sphere, a school and a kindergarten, football club «Tavria-Skif» and children’s sports. According to local residents, it has been almost impossible to buy the house in Rozdol village where farm’s headquarters were located. Residing there meant residing in a beautiful settlement with bright future and having well paid job.
Business plans of Kaliman-Yurchenko and local communities were destroyed by Russian full-scale invasion, occupation and looting of assets, acquired by hard work.
«The first car with Russian occupants came to the village on February 25, around 4:30 p.m. I did not believe that the war would start and persuaded everybody that everything would be ok. Since 2014, we have actively supported the Armed Forces of Ukraine. We did it because we understood pretty well: there was less than 200 kilometers between Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia. If the enemy would not be stopped, then, he would be able to reach us. In one week under occupation, we realized that we have been the only source of assistance and help for local residents. We started baking the bread at night but Russians broke into the bakery, threatened with machine guns and looted all food products. We understood it would be safer to bake at daylight. We provided the bread not only to our community but also to Vasylivka. At that time, it was located on the front line and met numerous columns of refugees from occupied territories. Vasylivka has been at the center of humanitarian catastrophe», as Oleg recalls the beginning of the full scale war.
Kaliman family has lived 50 days under Russian occupation. The whole family fled. They left not only their assets but also part of their lives. Russians immediately came to the farm, gathered its workers and announced the order of Ivan Sushko, collaborator and «head» of Russian occupation administration, about introduction of «temporary external management» on the farm. Sushko justified it by the refusal of the director of «Tavria-Skif» to register with Russian occupation military civil administration of Mykhailivka village and pay taxes to the Russian state.
A copy of the order of the Russian occupation «head» on introduction of «temporary management» on «Tavria-Skif». A copy prodivded by Oleg Kaliman
It is remarkable that the order of Russian occupation «head» emphasized that the Ukrainian managers of the farm fled to Zaporizhzhia by avoiding checkpoints of the Russian Armed Forces and the Russian Guard. It is well known that Russian occupants had lists of Ukrainians whom they must have arrested at checkpoints or not let pass to the free Ukrainian territory. It was very likely that Kaliman family would be arrested because their business has supported the Ukrainian Armed Forces for years, and their support was widely covered by Ukrainian local and national media.
At that time, hundreds of Ukrainian heads of local communities, members of local councils, civic activists, veterans of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and local businessmen were held in basements-torturing chambers of the Federal Security Service of Russia and the Russian Guard. Russian occupants tortured these people to get their businesses, money and assets. They also frightened local residents who have opposed occupants during first months of the occupation.
If not fleeing to free Ukrainian territory, Oleg Kaliman would face the fate of Sergii Maksymenko, director and owner of large agricultural enterprise «Svitanok» in Novotroitske in Kherson region. Since 2014, he has also made large contributions to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Russian abducted him with his son and tortured them for more than one month in secret prison located in the basement of Genichesk professional school.
Greenhouse complex «Tavria-Skif», 2014. Photo: screenshot youtube private farm «Tavria-Skif»
When new Russian «managers» seized the farm of Kaliman-Yurchenko, they looted and sold valuable assets. Ukrainian owners installed GPS-trackers on their machines and were able to trace stolen machines in Chechnya and Rostov oblast of the Russian Federation, after Russian seizure of the farm. As Oleg says, they broke heavy machines and excavators, to prevent its use for the construction of Russian defence «line of Surovikin».
«When we left, 12,5 thousand tons of grain and over 6 thousand tons of vegetables were stored in storehouses. Fertilizers and plant protection products were purchased for the next agricultural year. Winter cereals were planted on over 6 thousand hectares. That is to say, Russian occupants harvested in 2023 because everything has been earlier prepared. The enterprise was rich. It was impossible to loot it completely over short period of time. Many consequent Russian «managers» looted it», as says the farmer.
Oleg Kaliman thoroughly documents Russian crimes. His farm submitted an application to Ukrainian law enforcement bodies about acts of Russian troops causing the loss of all its assets and material and technical resources. The Department of the National Police of Ukraine in Zaporizhzhia oblast initiated criminal investigation and qualified Russian acts as the war crime (part 1 of article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
One year ago Commercial Court of Zaporizhzhia oblast satisfied the lawsuit of the private farm «Tavria-Skif» and obliged the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation to pay the farm 14,1 million USD as the compensation of its losses.
According to Oleg Kaliman, it is only a share of his losses caused by Russian expropriation of assets of his family business. Expert state that the value of lost assets amounts to 27 million USD at minimum.
He also faces other lawsuits. The Ukrainian government imposed penalties on his farm for «untimely payment of taxes» by his enterprise lost as an outcome of Russian occupation and for due payments on electricity consumed by occupants (CJI covered this unfair case here)…
Looting as the state policy of the Russian Federation
Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration emphasize that total losses of Ukrainian farmers can be correctly evaluated only after the liberation of occupied territories. But current figures are also striking.
Before the Russian full scale invasion, there were over 3 200 Ukrainian agricultural enterprises registered in Zaporizhzhia oblast. Today there is a little over one thousand agricultural enterprises registered in Vasylivsky, Zaporizky and Polohivsky rural raions of Zaporizhzhia oblast controlled by the Ukrainian government. However, less than half of them are really working (452 companies of food and processing industries). Only 26 legal entities continue their activity in the sphere of animal husbandry.
Other companies are looted, plundered by Russian occupants or they work for the Russian economy under the supervision of local traitors or Russian managers.
Over 2 million tons of grain was yearly harvested on the territory of oblast, currently occupied by Russians. LLC «Agrobrama» from Polohivsky raion has been one of them. It cultivated wheat, barley and peas on 1,5 thousand hectares.
Andrii Sydorenkov, co-owner of LLC «Agrobrama» at his farm. Photo given to CJI by A.Sydorenkov
Co-owner of the company Andrii Sydorenkov says that Russian occupants entered Udarnyk village where the company’s base was located, at the end of March 2022.
Russians launched a wave of raids, searches, threats and pressure to collaborate with occupation authorities. In April 2022, Sydorenkov with his family fled to the free Ukrainian territory. Occupants and local traitors looted assets of «Agrobrama».
In one year, legitimate owners of the company received Russian «act of inventory of assets of the company», with the list of seized agricultural machines, signed by Russian «heads» of raion and village – Oleksii Alipov and Anzhela Khludeeva. Russian appointees pressured Sydorenkov to come back and work under Russian legislation. Otherwise, Sydorenkov’s assets would be «nationalized».
«We did not plan to come back. By the end of May 2023 our storehouses were empty: machines, seeds and fertilizers disappeared. Losses we were able to document amounted to 2,5 million USD. Besides that, we lost our private assets», as says Andrii Sydorenkov.
Machines of LLC «Agrobrama», stolen by Russian occupants. Photo given to CJI by A.Sydorenkov
Russian troops flooded the territory of «Agrobrama» with burnt or damaged machines – buses, cars, tracks etc. Garage was used as their repairing base.
Andrii Sydorenkov does not know who owns and cultivate his lands now. Oleg Kaliman is also unaware about new owners and managers of his lands and assets. CJI did not find any Russian legal entities in the Russian Register with names or addresses of Sydorenkov’s or Kaliman-Yurchenko’s companies.
Person called Viktoria Alekseeva posts once per year announcements in local social media about recruitment of people to gather cherry in gardens of «Tavria-Skif». It is unknown whom she represents.
However, it is clear that somebody benefits from the illegal use of farm’s gardens.
Our version: Russian occupation authorities could have transferred stolen assets of the Ukrainian agricultural companies into the management (and further appropriation) of other legal entities set up by local collaborators or Russian citizens. As an example, there is the documented case of how collaborator Vitalii Buluk enriched his business by using stolen Ukrainian assets.
Before fake Russian referendums on occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts, Russian State Registers have not yet worked on occupied territories. Local departments of Russian registration authorities were created there from October to December 2022. It means that all transfers of ownership rights on stolen Ukrainian assets were registered informally by administration of Russian «head» Yevhen Balytsky. Tis «registration» was full of abuses and fraud.
In order to take control over the sale of stolen Ukrainian grain, Russian occupation authorities initiated the creation of so-called State Grain Operator (SGO) in May 2022. This company bought grain from local farmers at minimum prices and organized its further export abroad or transportation to Russia. Consequently, the company put its grasp on expropriated and looted Ukrainian elevators, river and maritime terminals of Ukrainian grain traders and other assets, including dozens of thousands of hectares land, owned by Ukrainian state and private agricultural enterprises.
In order to hide illegally acquired assets, Russian occupation authorities registered them as its 21 local offices, without registering separate legal entities or legal names. These officers have only numbers. For example, office # 5 is about expropriated assets of grain terminals of Berdyansk Sea Port, owned by Ukrainian LLC «Berdyansk sea terminal «Agria», «Askett Shipping» and «Nova Khortytsia». Office # 6 hides grain terminal of Ukrainian renowned company «Nibulon» in Kamyanka-Dniprovska etc.
The Center for Journalist Investigations identified all offices of Russian «State Grain Operator» and prepares material about activity of this Russian enterprise. Sanctions imposed on it should be renewed.
Russian occupation government of Zaporizhzhia oblast used the same scheme to hide illegal transfer of assets of machine building, metallurgical and oil processing companies. They became local offices of Russian governmental and private companies.
In September 2024, Yevhen Balytsky asked Vladimir Putin to permit the transfer of stolen Ukrainian agricultural assets to «trustworthy» Russian companies…
As Oleksandr Kovalenko, the speaker of legitimate Zaporizhzhia Oblast Military Administration, reported to CJI, since 2022, 348 Ukrainian agricultural enterprises have incurred losses and damages caused by the war. Russians ruined over 760 buildings, stole or destroyed over 2 400 agricultural machines.
Infrastructure for storing agricultural products has been also seriously damaged. Total capacity of stolen \ lost grain elevators and storehouses reaches around one million tons.
However, there are a few exceptions. For example, owners of occupied Kamysh-Zaryansky elevator, one of the largest and advanced in the region, did not change.
Business under the flag of Russian occupants
Sergii and Ludmyla Zhelev owns this complex as well as Melitopol and Prymorsk elevators, Melitopol oil extraction enterprise and other agricultural companies in Ukrainian and Russian jurisdictions. They collaborate with the enemy.
Zhelevy also registered in Russia LLC «Agroprodinvest», «Tsarevodarovka», «Melitopol plant of food products» as well as hotel «Melitopol» and LLC «Boryslava» in resort village Kyrylivka at Azov Sea shore.
According to the Russian State Service of Agricultural Surveillance, «Melitopol oil extraction enterprise» can export sunflower meal to countries of Russian Customs Union. It is one of two companies in occupied Zaporizhzhia oblast with the licence to export its products to Iran. The second legal entity is individual entrepreneur from Berdyansk Mykola Tymets. Russians granted him the right to export to Iran … frozen moth (do not ask us – we are shocked, too).
Enterprises from temporary occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia oblast, grant by the Russian Federation the right to export their goods to Iran. Photo: screenshot of webpage of the Register of the Russian State Agricultural Surveillance «Tserber»
At the same time, some expropriated agricultural enterprises of the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia oblast demonstrate revenues worth billions. Extraordinary success of unknown farmer Volodymyr Krupka shocked us. In 2024, revenues of his private farm have been second only to giant «State Grain Operator»!
62 years old Volodymyr Krupko resides in Chernihivka village. He has been absolutely closed figure. Local residents were shocked when they were told by journalists about revenues of their modest neighbor. In 2024, his private farm «Krupka V.A.» received over 4,5 billion Rubles as revenues (the largest among agricultural enterprises on occupied territory of Zaporizhzhia oblast). It doubled the result, in comparison with 2023 (2,2 billion Rubles).
Most successful private farmer of temporary occupied territories of Zaporizhzhia oblast Volodymyr Krupko (extreme left), 2016. Photo: Odnoklassniki
«He has been ordinary farmer with a hundred of hectares in Chernihivka. Today he is very calm and modest. He does nothing special. I know that he keeps working and even leased more land shares», as told us Krupka’s fellowman (we do not disclose his name for security reasons).
We can hardly imagine the number of land shares to lease, in order to achieve such an outstanding result. The most evident version is that his farm has been used by Russian occupants «to legalize» \ «to launder» the revenues obtained from stolen Ukrainian lands and enterprises.
Another old scheme for looters is to register legal entity on behalf of «front» or «fake person». For example, Russian occupants stole rich «Plemzavod Stepnoi» from Ukrainian beneficiaries Inna Volkova and Yana Barts and appointed Oleksii Kalinin, local resident and former supervisor of garage, as its new director. In 2024, the revenues of the company exceeded one billion Rubles.
On the other hand, Russians more often do not hide their ownership rights. Let us look at infamous Russian ex-minister of agriculture and current agricultural moghul Aleksandr Tkachov. He seized assets of company «Zaporizhzhia-Agro», daughter company of LLC «Demetra-investments» of Ukrainian businessmen from Mangush in Donetsk oblast – Volodymyr Karaberov and Natalia Chako. Since 2025, the owner of its Ukrainian clone in Russian jurisdiction has been Trade House «Agrocomplex», daughter of JSC «Firma «Agrocmplex named after N.I.Tkachev». Tkachov’s company has also openly seized an enterprise «Selkom» of the same Ukrainian businessmen (registered in Yalta in Donetsk oblast).
Material prepared under the support of program «Stronger Together: Media and Democracy», implemented by WAN-IFRA in partnership with Association «Independent Regional Publishers of Ukraine» and MBL with support of Norway. The views expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the official position of the program partners.
