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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
🌻 Contract with a dissolved British company: the former director of LLC “AGRO-PROJECT” was fined 1,28 million UAH for oil exports
The Khadzhibey District Court of Odesa held the former head of LLC “AGRO-PROJECT,” Mykola Serhiiovych Stehachov, administratively liable after he attempted to export sunflower oil abroad using documents from a dissolved British company.
This was reported by the Telegram channel “Sudom po skhemakh” citing case No. 521/3586/26.
⚖️ Case circumstances and a typical scheme
In April 2024, under the leadership of Stehachov M. S., LLC “AGRO-PROJECT” exported a consignment of refined sunflower oil in PET bottles (produced by FH “VIZYT-POKUTTYA”) to Malta, with a total weight of more than 25,1 tons. The value of the goods declared in the customs declaration was 21 840 US dollars (855 420,38 UAH at the NBU exchange rate).
The basis for moving the cargo was a contract and accompanying documents concluded with the British company LINKLIN TRADE LP.
However, during verification and after receiving a response from the customs authorities of the United Kingdom (letters from November 2025), it was established that LINKLIN TRADE LP had been dissolved and fully liquidated as early as 15 March 2019.
Note that the name LINKLIN TRADE LP systematically appears in court materials regarding customs violations by various Ukrainian exporters. The use of a fictitious foreign company that ceased operation many years ago is a popular scheme for concealing the real recipients of goods, evading repatriation of foreign currency revenue, and illegally moving funds out of Ukraine.
📌 Court decision and sanctions
The court qualified the actions of Mykola Serhiiovych Stehachov under part 1 of Art. 483 of the Customs Code of Ukraine (movement of goods with submission of forged documents).
Since the oil had already been released into free circulation and its physical confiscation proved impossible, the court applied the provision of part 2 of Art. 541 of the CCU (recovery of value).
The court issued the corresponding ruling on 10 September 2026, ordering:
• Fine: 50% of the value of the goods — 427 710,19 UAH;
• Recovery of the value of the goods: 100% due to the impossibility of confiscation — 855 420,38 UAH;
• Court fee: 665,60 UAH.
The total amount determined to be recovered from Stehachov M. S. is over 1,28 million UAH.
💡 Advice from the Telegram channel “Sudom po skhemakh”
1. Check the status of the foreign counterparty: Before signing foreign trade contracts and preparing customs declarations, be sure to order extracts from the official business registers of the buyer’s country of registration (for example, Companies House in the United Kingdom).
2. Dissolved counterparty = forged documents: Concluding agreements or issuing invoices on behalf of a firm that has officially ceased to exist (liquidated) is treated by courts and customs as submission of knowingly forged documents under Art. 483 of the Customs Code of Ukraine.
3. Release of the goods does not protect against financial losses: If the property has already been exported or sold, that does not absolve from liability — the court applies recovery of 100% of its value instead of confiscation in addition to the main fine.
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