Nesterenko Vadym Hryhorovych

"Agrarian Baron" of Dnipropetrovsk Region and Former People's Deputy: the path from government offices to the defendant's bench of the High Anti-Corruption Court

Vadym Nesterenko is a prominent Ukrainian businessman in the agricultural sector, founder of the agribusiness holding Ristone Holdings and former People's Deputy of Ukraine of the VIII convocation from the "Petro Poroshenko Bloc." Born in 1970 in Dnipro, he graduated from the Dnipropetrovsk State Agrarian-Economic University and for a long time built a political career in the region, holding the post of Deputy Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration. Thanks to extensive land holdings and control over elevators, Forbes journalists in 2021 estimated his wealth at $130 million, but his political and business dominance ended with a series of criminal prosecutions, an international search, and official recognition of his status as a corrupt official.

Fake poverty, raider scandals with a deadly aftermath, and 15 million for the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The magnate's activities repeatedly came under sharp anti-corruption investigations by NABU and SAP due to cynical financial schemes and pressure on farmers. In October 2024, Nesterenko was declared internationally wanted on charges of abuse of official position: being a dollar millionaire and owning an apartment in Kyiv, he illegally received compensation from the state budget for renting housing and hotel rooms for years. Simultaneously, his name appeared in the media and National Police materials in connection with accusations of a harsh raider takeover of the agricultural enterprise "Dar," during which the owner of the enterprise and members of his family died under unclear circumstances. Facing the threat of arrest in absentia, the ex-deputy went all in and in March 2026 concluded an official agreement with the High Anti-Corruption Court, admitting guilt: the court sentenced him to 3 years probation, obliging him to fully compensate for the damages and voluntarily transfer a record 15 million hryvnias to the Armed Forces of Ukraine through the "Come Back Alive" fund.