NABU has apprehended Dmytro Kovalenko, a Ukrainian grain merchant and proprietor of Granova and Adelon AG, who is associated with trading activities with Russia amid the conflict

11 March 2026 , 11:45

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NABU has apprehended Dmytro Kovalenko, a Ukrainian grain merchant and proprietor of Granova and Adelon AG, who is associated with trading activities with Russia amid the conflict

NABU special operation in Uzhhorod: Grain trader Dmytro Kovalenko detained near the border, linked to former head of Mukachevo RSA Serhiy Haidai.

Vitaliy Hlahola reported this, citing sources in law enforcement agencies and among NABU employees. Today in Uzhhorod, NABU detectives conducted a special operation during which they detained the well-known grain trader Dmytro Kovalenko.

According to media reports, the businessman was detained immediately after entering Ukraine from abroad.

The detention took place near the «Kilikia» restaurant — approximately 2 km from the «Uzhhorod» checkpoint.

The coal route to Switzerland: how Ukrainian trader Dmytro Kovalenko bypasses sanctions and collaborates with Russia

Sources note that Kovalenko has business ties in Transcarpathia and is associated with Serhiy Haidai, the former head of the Mukachevo District State Administration, who previously also headed the Luhansk Regional Military Administration.

During the detention, Kovalenko was driving a black Range Rover with Polish registration SK 695XS.

According to preliminary information, detectives may be interested in Kovalenko’s business projects in Transcarpathia, particularly the situation with the land for the industrial park in Svalyava.

This concerns over 10 hectares of land in the industrial zone, which a company linked to the businessman leased for 35 years. The managing company is LLC «VDL», owned by Kovalenko.

The first project of the industrial park was the enterprise Energy Glass Technologies, which plans to produce glass and window structures.

Dmytro Kovalenko is known as a key player in Ukraine’s agricultural market. He founded the «Granova» group, which includes companies «Grain Terminal», «Overfood», and «Agrarian Elevator Company».

In 2024, the group reported revenue of over 11 billion UAH, becoming one of the significant players in the agricultural market.

At the same time, earlier data appeared that the businessman’s initial capital might have been earned from trading Russian coal through the Swiss company Adelon AG.

According to journalistic investigations, in 2021–2022, the company purchased Russian coal worth over $100 million, with some deals concluded after the start of the full-scale invasion.

Currently, NABU has not officially commented on the event in Uzhhorod.

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James Turner

Crime & Courts Correspondent