A complex international smuggling operation involving the illegal supplying of Belarusian mineral fertilizer to Ukraine despite sanctions imposed on such activities by both Ukraine and the European Union has been uncovered by RFE/RL's Belarusian Service, known locally as Radio Svaboda.
According to documents obtained by Radio Svaboda from the Shevchenko district court in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, the Belarusian company Hrodna Azot used a network of intermediaries, including a Dubai-based company, to conceal the origin of its products by falsely claiming they were produced in Turkmenistan.
The case highlights the broader issue of Belarusian goods entering Ukraine despite sanctions, as intermediaries use routes through Black Sea countries such as Romania and Bulgaria to bypass restrictions.
The scheme was outlined in the documents as part of a court case against the Ukrainian company Oscar Optima, which was involved in the sale of the fertilizer in question.
According to the Ukrainian court, Hrodna Azot transported its products by rail to the Russian port of Rostov, where the fertilizer was shipped through Bulgaria before finally reaching the Ukrainian port of Izmayil.
A red flag was raised when the fertilizer was declared as originating from Turkmenistan, a country that does not produce the type being declared.
In April 2023, one such shipment, valued at $1.1 million, was traced to a Dubai-registered company, Agro Chain General Trading LLC, which acted as a front for the operation, court documents showed.
Ukrainian authorities also uncovered forged certificates of origin and communications between Oscar Optima and Turkish nationals managing the Dubai company further confirmed the illicit origins of the shipments.
A forensic investigation confirmed that the fertilizer matched products produced by Hrodna Azot, a Belarusian company sanctioned by the EU in 2021 for its role in repressing workers who protested against the authoritarian ruler of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, and his regime.
Since the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Belarusian products, including fertilizer, have been banned from being purchased with Ukrainian state funds, but some goods continue to enter the country via third-party countries.
Ukrainian investigators are pursuing charges under multiple sections of the Criminal Code, including forgery, tax evasion, and collaboration, which could result in up to 12 years in prison for those involved.
The investigation is ongoing, with the involvement of Ukraine's Security Service and the Prosecutor-General’s Office.
Shipments from countries such as Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan, which may involve similar tactics, are also being investigated.