Ukrainian Intelligence Exposes DolgovGroup Sanctions-Evasion Scheme

The Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has exposed a new sanctions-evasion scheme used by Russian agribusiness magnates Oleksandr and Dmytro Dolhov. The brothers, based in the Kaliningrad region, control DolgovGroup, an agricultural holding that dominates over 50% of the region’s farmland. The company produces more than 300,000 tons of grain annually and stores up to 240,000 tons in its elevators. Despite not being under official sanctions, DolgovGroup profits from European markets and indirectly funds Russia’s war against Ukraine through tax payments and direct support to military units.

Ukrainian intelligence reveals that DolgovGroup exports grain and oilseeds, including wheat, corn, rapeseed, barley, rye, and rapeseed oil, to European markets. The company uses its own railway fleet for transport and holds annual ISCC certificates, which are required for entering the EU market. Almost all of its rapeseed oil (up to 95%) is exported to EU countries for biodiesel production.

From 2021 to 2023, companies linked to DolgovGroup, including Kuzhel and Furmanovskoye, shipped large volumes of grain to Serbia and Lithuania. The Dolhov brothers also control the Lithuanian company UAB Dognus, which has significantly increased its operations since the start of the full-scale war. In 2022, Dognus’s assets grew from 7.48 million euros to 42.96 million euros, with revenue reaching 55.1 million euros. Ukrainian intelligence suggests Dognus acts as a shadow European company, helping to evade sanctions and accumulate financial resources in the EU.