9 million in damages and a third case: how an official in Bukovina sold state soy below the market rate

 In Bukovina, the acting director of a state agricultural enterprise who sold state soy and sunflowers at prices twice lower than market rates will stand trial. As a result of such deals, nearly 9 million UAH in damages were caused to the research station.

The indictment regarding the official was sent to court by detectives of the Territorial Office of the ESBU in the Chernivtsi region.

This is already the third proceeding against this official investigated by the detectives of the Bureau. In the two previous episodes of embezzlement of state property amounting to over 10 million UAH, the indictments are already in court.

The investigation established that during 2024–2025, the official concluded agreements for the sale of soy and sunflowers to a private enterprise at understated prices. This was despite the requirements of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences to sell products at market value.

The most telling example is soy: in 2024, it was sold at 13,510 UAH per tonne, while the market price at that time ranged from 18,152 to 19,969 UAH per tonne. That is, state property was sold for almost twice cheaper than its real value.

According to the conclusions of experts, as a result of the sale of agricultural products at understated prices, nearly 9 million UAH in damages was caused to the state research station.

The official is accused under Part 5 of Article 191 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (embezzlement of property through abuse of official position, committed on an especially large scale under martial law).

Procedural guidance is carried out by the Chernivtsi Regional Prosecutor's Office. According to Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is considered innocent of committing a crime and cannot be subjected to criminal punishment until their guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a court verdict.