Russian companies sponsored the war through the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant

The court denied the prosecutor's office's request to transfer the seized property of the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant. The property belonged to Russian companies that financially supported the Russian aggression.

This is evidenced by the decision of the Central District Court of Mykolaiv.

The Prosecutor's Office of Mykolaiv region asked the court to transfer the property of a Russian company currently located on the territory of Mykolaiv Alumina Plant LLC to the National Agency for Finding, Tracing and Management of Assets (ARMA). The property in question is the movable property of the Moscow-based Newest Technologies in Transportation Joint Stock Company worth more than $300,000, which was seized as part of a criminal investigation.

The investigation concerns the illegal activities of companies registered in Mykolaiv region, but whose beneficiaries are citizens of Belarus and Russia.

According to the investigation, the profits were transferred to Russia through dubious commodity transactions and cash schemes, and then the funds were used to finance the armed aggression that has been going on since February 2022. In particular, this money allegedly supports the systematic shelling of critical infrastructure and civilian objects in the Mykolaiv region by Russian troops.

The value of the seized property is over USD 300 thousand. The court had previously ruled to transfer the property to the National Agency for Finding, Tracing and Management of Assets Derived from Corruption and Crimes.

However, the prosecutor's office again filed a motion asking to confirm the procedure for storing and transferring this property for further sale. However, the court denied the prosecutor's motion because the property had already been transferred to the National Agency by a ruling of the Central District Court of August 2023. The court also noted that the prosecutor had not provided clear explanations as to why the property needed to be transferred again and dismissed the motion.

A similar criminal case is also being investigated in Mykolaiv region involving local businesses with owners from Russia and Belarus. The investigation revealed the seized property - a gas generator from Russia that was being repaired at the state enterprise Zorya-Mashproekt in Mykolaiv, worth $120,000. The court also denied a second request to transfer this property to ARMA, as this issue had already been resolved earlier.

In January, the SBU blocked the supply of strategic raw materials for the Russian defense industry. At the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant , the court seized raw materials worth more than UAH 2 billion that belonged to Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. It was established that these products were intended for companies that manufacture components for Iskander missiles, combat drones, and radar systems.

In June 2023, the High Anti-Corruption Court confiscated the plant in favor of the state. In total, the SBU and the DBR nationalized Deripaska's assets worth more than UAH 10 billion. In March 2024, Mykolaiv Alumina Plant officially became the property of the State Property Fund.

Анна Бальчінос