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POZIRK+Inflation: officials still searching for a magic formula
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July 15 Pozirk. Individuals from Alaksandar Łukašenka’s inner circle are profiting from private firms that assist Hrodna Azot, a state-owned fertilizer producer, in circumventing western sanctions, says a recent report by the Belarusian Investigative Center (BIC).
After the introduction of the European Union’s sanctions in late 2021, the Hrodna district executive committee set up an intermediary company, Hrykom, that sold sanctioned fertilizers as an independent manufacturer, the journalists noted. Viktar Rusak, former HR head at Hrodna Azot, reportedly acted as Hrykom’s CEO.
The launch of Russia’s war on Ukraine in early 2022 caused a surge in gas prices in Europe, while Belarus continued to receive cheap gas from Russia that allowed it to produce nitrogen fertilizers at competitive prices, the BIC said.
Later that year, Technaspectrading LLC linked to a former business partner of Siarhiej Ciaceryn from Łukašenka’s inner circle, offered Hrodna Azot its services in evading sanctions. Unlike Hrykom, which took 1 percent of the plant’s profits, it aimed at up to 31 percent of profit margin.
Last year, the sanctions evasion scheme expanded to include more intermediaries controlled by individuals close to Łukašenka’s son Dźmitryj and Mikałaj Vierabiej, known as the Belarusian ruler’s oil “wallet.” Foreign companies participating in sanctions evasion reportedly belong to people close to Łukašenka’s long-standing associate Viktar Šejman.
Based on earlier reports of shipments of Belarusian nitrogen fertilizers through Latvia in 2025, the BIC identified Bauer Blue GmbH from Germany as the buyer of Hrodna-produced urea via the Estonian Stacroloft Inc, owned by Sergej Nemirovski, whose father-in-law worked with Šejman.
Šejman is also reportedly linked to Rostumel Holding Limited from Cyprus that bought and re-sold Hrodna Azot products in the EU via one of the intermediaries. The company featured in another BIC report on sanctions evasion.
Hrodna Azot has been under the EU sanctions for almost four years over alleged human rights violations by its management during the 2020 political crisis in Belarus.
Hrodna Azot sold $59-million worth of fertilizers to EU last year bypassing sanctions – report
June 23, Pozirk. Hrodna Azot, a Belarusian state-owned nitrogen fertilizer producer, has been exporting its products to the European Union despite sanctions that have been in force for almost four years, the Belarusian Investigative Center has said. Last year alone, …
