Court Rules Russia Must Pay $1.6 Million for Sunflower Seeds in Svatove

Ukrainian courts have increasingly used civil litigation to hold the Russian state financially liable for assets destroyed during the war in Ukraine. On October 24, 2026, the Commercial Court of Luhansk Oblast issued a ruling requiring Russia to pay UAH 65.36 million, approximately US$1.6 million, to the company Oliiar.

Oliiar, registered in Pustomyty in Lviv Oblast, lost its inventory when Russian armed groups seized a warehouse in Svatove. The facility was operated by Svatove-Ahro LLC and held sunflower seeds purchased from Prydniprovske Agrarian Company LLC. Iryna Zalizna is listed as the founder of Oliiar, while Iryna Podoba serves as its director.

The dispute traces back to October 2021, when Oliiar contracted for 4,700 tonnes of seeds from the 2021 harvest. By February 24, 2022, Svatove-Ahro had delivered 2,592 tonnes to Oliiar. The remaining 2,107 tonnes stayed in storage until Russian forces took control of the premises, preventing the company from recovering the rest of the crop.

The court determined that the loss was a direct result of Russia's armed aggression. It ordered the Russian Ministry of Justice, which represents the state, to provide compensation based on an expert valuation of the missing seeds.

This decision follows a similar order from the same court. Previously, the court directed Russia to pay UAH 51.67 million, roughly US$1.25 million, to Trading House Agrokhim LLC. That award covered property lost in Svatove and in Kakhovka in Kherson Oblast.

The ruling confirms that private Ukrainian firms can seek judicial recourse for commercial losses sustained in occupied territories. The court cited conclusive evidence linking the seizure of the seeds to Russian military action.