Luhansk Court Rules Russia Must Pay $1.6 Million for Lost Sunflower Seeds

The Commercial Court of Luhansk Oblast issued a ruling on October 24, 2026, ordering the Russian state to compensate a Ukrainian agricultural firm for lost inventory. The court determined that Russia must pay 65.36 million hryvnia, approximately $1.6 million, to Oliiar, a company registered in Pustomyty, Lviv Oblast.

The dispute stems from a contract signed in October 2021. Oliiar agreed to purchase 4,700 tonnes of sunflower seeds from Prydniprovske Agrarian Company LLC. The firm arranged for the crop to be stored at a facility in Svatove operated by Svatove-Ahro LLC. The supplier delivered the full quantity to the warehouse before the conflict escalated.

By February 24, 2022, the storage facility had transferred 2,592 tonnes to Oliiar. The remaining 2,107 tonnes stayed in the Svatove warehouse when Russian armed groups seized the premises. Oliiar did not recover that portion of the shipment during the subsequent occupation of the area.

The court found that the company provided conclusive evidence linking the loss of the crop directly to Russia's armed aggression. The compensation amount was calculated using an expert valuation of the missing seeds. Russia, represented by the Ministry of Justice, is responsible for the payment.

Iryna Zalizna is listed as the founder of Oliiar, and Iryna Podoba serves as its director. The recent ruling aligns with a previous decision by the same court. In that earlier case, the court ordered Russia to pay 51.67 million hryvnia, or about $1.25 million, to Trading House Agrokhim LLC for property lost in Svatove and Kakhovka.