Yuliia Olkohvska

In 2022, Russian caravans of weapons and armored vehicles drove into Southern Ukraine, occupied by Russia. Russian railroad cars and trucks with stolen assets and ore went in the opposite direction – to Russia. These trucks carried valuable agglomeration ore from Pivdenno-Bilozerske ore deposit in Zaporizhzhya oblast. They contain high share of iron and do not need enrichment.

Zaporizhzhya Iron Ore Plant (ZZRK) became the most precious stolen asset of Russian occupants in the region. It is very profitable in supplying iron ore to metallurgical plants in occupied Donbas and Russia. After the Russian occupation, it has been controlled by businesses of Viktor Medvedchuk and Ramzan Kadyrov, very close to Kremlin authorities.

Legitimate owners and largest shareholders of ZZRK are Ukrainian steel plant «Zaporizhstal», Slovak «Minerfin» and Czech KSK Consulting. In 2022, its final beneficiary owner Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov submitted the lawsuit to the European Court on Human Rights against Russia, claiming compensation of his losses and violation of his ownership rights. Information request of the CJI for interview with the head of ZZRK or other authorized person was left without answer.