Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence (HUR) has uncovered another scheme used by Russian agribusiness entrepreneurs Oleksandr and Dmytro Dolgov to circumvent sanctions and operate on the European market.
This is stated in the agency’s report.
According to HUR, the Dolgov brothers are the founders and owners of the “DolgovGrupp” holding company—one of the largest agricultural enterprises in Russia’s Kaliningrad region. The holding’s companies are engaged in crop farming, livestock production, processing and the sale of agricultural products.
Each year, the holding’s businesses produce more than 300,000 tonnes of grain. They also have grain elevator capacity of 240,000 tonnes and their own rail fleet. Products include wheat, maize, rapeseed, barley, rye and rapeseed oil.
“‘DolgovGrupp’ is not under sanctions, earns money on the European market and helps sponsor Russia’s genocidal war against Ukraine—both through taxes paid into the budget of the aggressor state, Russia, and through systematic financial and material support for units of the Russian occupation forces,” the intelligence service said.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, around 95% of the rapeseed oil produced by the holding is exported to EU countries for biodiesel production. For such exports, the companies receive international ISCC certificates every year.
In 2021–2023, the holding’s companies Kuzhel and Furmanovskoye exported significant volumes of grain to Serbia and Lithuania.
HUR draws particular attention to the Lithuanian company UAB Dognus. According to intelligence, the Dolgov brothers were among its co-founders in 2012.
Formally, the company’s owners changed in 2016–2018. At the same time, HUR says there is a high likelihood that the Dolgov brothers have retained de facto control over the structure.
According to intelligence, Dognus carried out trading operations with enterprises linked to “DolgovGrupp”, including purchasing Russian grain.
After Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, the company’s figures rose sharply. In 2022, its assets increased from €7.48m to €42.96m, while cash holdings rose from €86,700 to €23.21m. The company’s revenue that year reached €55.1m.
Also, according to HUR, of Dognus’s 708 import-export operations in 2018–2023, 674 fell in the period from 1 January 2022 to 17 January 2023.
Intelligence officials suggest the Dolgov brothers may be using UAB Dognus as a European vehicle to bypass sanctions restrictions and accumulate financial resources within the EU jurisdiction.
HUR also noted that the Dolgov brothers have business and political ties with the leadership of the Kaliningrad region. Oleksandr Dolgov previously served as a deputy of the Kaliningrad Regional Duma and heads Nevskoye LLC.
In addition, according to intelligence, the holding cooperates with Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service and uses convict labour.
“According to assessments by Ukraine’s military intelligence, the Dolgov brothers may be using UAB Dognus as a shadow European firm to circumvent sanctions restrictions and accumulate financial resources within the EU jurisdiction,” the intelligence service emphasised.