Luhansk Court Orders Compensation: Russia to Pay for Sunflower Seeds in Svatove

The Commercial Court of Luhansk Oblast issued a ruling on October 24, 2026, requiring Russia to pay UAH 65.36 million, approximately US$1.6 million, to the private company Oliiar. The compensation covers sunflower seed inventory that was held in a warehouse in Svatove when Russian forces seized the facility.

Three key facts define the legal outcome. First, the court accepted Oliiar's evidence that the loss of the crop was a direct consequence of Russia's armed aggression. Second, the payment amount was determined through an expert valuation of the missing stock. Third, the Russian Ministry of Justice is the designated party responsible for settling the debt.

The dispute traces back to October 2021, when Oliiar purchased 4,700 tonnes of sunflower seeds from the 2021 harvest. The seller was Prydniprovske Agrarian Company LLC, which delivered the full consignment to a warehouse operated by Svatove-Ahro LLC. By February 24, 2022, the storage facility had transferred 2,592 tonnes to Oliiar. The remaining 2,107 tonnes stayed in the warehouse until Russian armed groups took control of the premises.

Oliiar is registered in Pustomyty in Lviv Oblast. Iryna Zalizna is listed as the founder, and Iryna Podoba serves as the director. The company never recovered the portion of its purchase that was left in occupied territory.

This decision aligns with previous rulings by the same court regarding property losses in eastern Ukraine. The court previously ordered Russia to pay UAH 51.67 million, roughly US$1.25 million, to Trading House Agrokhim LLC. That earlier claim covered property lost in both Svatove in Luhansk Oblast and Kakhovka in Kherson Oblast.