Photo: Bayadera Group.
Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office is demanding the confiscation of assets of Ukraine’s largest alcohol holding, Bayadera Group, accusing the company of “anti-state activities”. This is not the first time that Russia has tried to seize the property of Ukrainian businesses on its territory, Time Ukraine Israel reports, citing Liga.net.
Confiscation claim: details of the charges
Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has filed a lawsuit with the Veliky Ustyuz District Court of the Vologda Oblast demanding that the assets of Bayadera Group be confiscated and transferred to state ownership. The lawsuit states that the company allegedly conducted a “Russophobic campaign” aimed at discrediting the Russian army.
According to the investigation, the owners of the company, Natalia Bondarieva and Svyatoslav Nechytailo, as well as the Russian asset manager Yuri Moklyak, financially supported the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In particular, they reportedly transferred 2% of their profits to the needs of the Armed Forces, which, according to the prosecutor’s office, amounted to more than $1.8 million. These funds were allegedly used to purchase drones, vehicles, ammunition and ammunition.
In addition, the Bayadera Group cancelled its licence to produce Belarusian alcohol products, justifying it by Minsk’s allied relations with Moscow.
The company’s Russian assets are in the crosshairs
The main object of the confiscation is the National Alcohol Traditions company, which owns 99.1% of the Velykoustiuzkyi distillery. According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, Bondarieva and Nechytailo transferred their assets in Russia to Yuriy Moklyak, who later re-registered them to controlled entities.
A similar scenario was already implemented in 2024, when Russia “nationalised” the assets of the Ariant Group, including the large Kuban Wine Company.
Bayadera Group: key facts
Bayadera Group is one of the leading alcohol holdings in Eastern Europe, founded in 1991 in Kyiv. The company owns popular brands such as Khlibnyi Dar, Kozatska Rada, Marengo, Koblevo and others. Its products are exported to more than 35 countries, and the company’s portfolio includes exclusive imports of beverages of leading global brands.
In June 2024, the Russian authorities confiscated the assets of another Ukrainian producer, Global Spirits, the owner of the Khortytsia brand. In July, a similar fate befell the companies of Yuriy Shefler, owner of Amber Beverage Group Holding.
The Russian authorities continue to use the policy of confiscation as an instrument of economic pressure on Ukrainian business. Accusations of “extremism” and “anti-state activities” have become part of a strategy of asset seizure during the war, undermining not only the Ukrainian but also the international business climate.
