Ex-mayor of Kherson Saldo convicted for looting of bakery plant

The occupying head of Kherson region, Volodymyr Saldo , has received another verdict in absentia from a Ukrainian court. He was found guilty of a war crime for organizing the seizure of the Kherson Bread Products Plant and the illegal export of thousands of tons of grain.

This is evidenced by the verdict of the Kherson City Court.

According to the case file, after the capture of part of Kherson region by Russian troops, Saldo headed the "civil-military administration" created by the occupiers, and in October 2022 became the so-called "acting governor of Kherson region". The court concluded that he personally made decisions to establish control over Ukrainian enterprises and their assets.

One of these objects was the Kherson Bakery Plant. In September 2022, he signed an order to introduce a "temporary administration" at the enterprise, effectively transferring control over it to representatives of the occupation authorities. At that time, more than 30,000 tons of grain and grain products belonging to various companies were stored on the territory of the plant.

In October of the same year, the occupation leader signed another order - on the so-called "evacuation" of grain crops from Kherson and the right-bank part of the region.

The investigation proved that on the order of Volodymyr Saldo, representatives of the occupation administration, together with the Russian military, took out at least 2,859 tons of barley belonging to WESTAGRO TRADE COMMODITIES LTD and Pyriatyn Delicacy LLC. The total value of the stolen products exceeded UAH 14.7 million. After the grain was transported to the left bank, the occupiers disposed of it at their own discretion.

During the trial, witnesses confirmed that after the arrival of the occupation authorities, the Ukrainian management of the enterprise was removed from the management, and the grain was prepared for export under the control of armed Russian military. After the liberation of Kherson, the inventory showed a significant shortage of grain stocks.

The court found him guilty and sentenced him to 15 years in prison with confiscation of all his property.

One of the key activities of the traitor was control over the agricultural sector of Kherson region. Under his leadership, the occupation authorities systematically took away grain from farmers, seized businesses and took control of grain terminals. The total value of the misappropriated products exceeded UAH 5.3 billion.

The stolen grain was transported by road and rail to the occupied Crimea and Russia, from where it was exported to Syria, Egypt, Turkey and Lebanon under the guise of Russian products. Investigators believe that this was a large-scale scheme to steal and legalize Ukrainian resources.

Анна Бальчінос