Judge Forces Russia to Reimburse Lviv Firm for 2,107 Tonnes of Sunflower Seeds

The Commercial Court of Luhansk Oblast issued a ruling on October 24, 2026, ordering the Russian state to pay UAH 65.36 million, approximately US$1.6 million, to Oliiar. The judgment compensates the company for sunflower seeds that were lost when Russian forces took control of its storage facility in Svatove.

Oliiar, a private firm registered in Pustomyty, Lviv Oblast, entered into a purchase agreement in October 2021 for 4,700 tonnes of sunflower seeds from the 2021 harvest. The seller was Prydniprovske Agrarian Company LLC. Oliiar contracted Svatove-Ahro LLC to store the crop. The supplier delivered the full quantity to a Svatove warehouse operated by Svatove-Ahro.

By February 24, 2022, the storage facility had transferred 2,592 tonnes to Oliiar. The remaining 2,107 tonnes stayed in the warehouse. Following the start of the full-scale invasion, Russian armed groups seized the premises. Oliiar did not recover that portion of the inventory. The company is founded by Iryna Zalizna and directed by Iryna Podoba.

The court accepted Oliiar’s evidence that the loss resulted directly from Russia’s armed aggression. The judge set the compensation amount based on an expert valuation. Russia is represented in the proceedings by its Ministry of Justice. This decision follows a prior ruling by the same court, which ordered Russia to pay UAH 51.67 million, about US$1.25 million, to Trading House Agrokhim LLC for property lost in Svatove and Kakhovka.

The ruling marks the latest financial judgment against the Russian state in this jurisdiction. The court’s order requires payment for the specific quantity of seeds held in storage at the time of the seizure. The compensation reflects the market value determined by independent experts.