Testimony of Oleksii Olenchenko in the Mykola Solskyi Case
Oleksii Olenchenko, the nominal owner of the limited liability company Volytsia Agro, has provided testimony in the criminal investigation involving former Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Solskyi. Olenchenko asserts that around 20 companies registered under his name since 2018 actually belong to Solskyi. The case centers on grain fraud, specifically an attempt to sell 7,000 metric tons of nonexistent corn. Solskyi is currently being held in pretrial detention at the Khmelnytskyi Detention Center.
Olenchenko stated he made no decisions regarding these companies, as Solskyi’s lawyers handled all legal matters. After Solskyi became a suspect, an active process began transferring agribusiness assets to third parties. For instance, the agricultural cooperative Sorio Trade, based in Kyiv, was handed over to Rostyslav Danylchenko, a businessman from the Mykolaiv region. The ownership changes for the cooperative were finalized on March 28, 2026—the same day Solskyi was placed in the Khmelnytskyi detention facility.
Case Details and Implications
Until the ownership transfer, the director of Sorio Trade was Oleksandr Prokopets, who also serves as the head of Volytsia Agro and is the third suspect in Solskyi’s case. Volytsia Agro owns an elevator in the Kyiv region with a capacity of about 60,000 metric tons and a small land bank of roughly 5,000 hectares. Olenchenko also worked at the law firm Solskyi, Protsyk & Partners, which Mykola Solskyi co-founded.
Besides Solskyi, two other individuals—the management of Volytsia Agro—have received official suspicion notices. The suspects allegedly attempted to sell 7,000 metric tons of fictitious corn by falsifying warehouse documents. The investigation into Solskyi is proceeding under two counts: Part 5 of Article 190 of the Criminal Code (fraud) and Part 2 of Article 209 (money laundering).
Notably, according to an agribusinessman speaking on condition of anonymity, 'Grain traders typically negotiated supply deals not with Olenchenko, but directly with Solskyi.'
These developments have sparked serious concern within Ukraine’s agricultural sector and society at large, raising questions about transparency and legality in agribusiness. Fraud-related issues in grain trading could have severe repercussions not only for individuals but for the entire agricultural economy, underscoring the need for stricter state oversight and regulation.
The ongoing investigation into Mykola Solskyi's alleged involvement in fraudulent activities raises critical questions about the broader implications for Ukraine's agricultural sector. As more details emerge, including connections to significant financial schemes, the case mirrors other high-profile corruption cases in the country. For a deeper understanding of the legal challenges facing former officials, you can explore this related article on a billion-hryvnia fraud scheme.