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Shell companies accused of tax evasion have sold large amounts of Ukrainian grain throughout Europe.
The trade in “black grain” has defrauded the state of at least $140 million in 2022 alone, according to Ukrainian prosecutors.
Using customs data, OCCRP investigated the European importers who did business with these suspect companies. Reporters found several questionable firms that had been ordered to dissolve and others whose “owners” or “directors” had been recruited in a psychiatric hospital. Major international agriculture traders also imported grain through some of the suspect companies.
 The Big Picture: Grain exports — like corn, barley, and wheat — are key for Ukraine’s economy.
This investigation shows how these precious commodities have been exported by shell companies run from the shadows. According to prosecutors, these firms have dodged taxes, denying Ukraine much-needed wartime revenue. Various European importers also appear to be complicit.
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