A grain deal worth nearly $7 million involving Ukrainian businessman Roman Tereshchenko has become the subject of international arbitration and criminal proceedings across several jurisdictions. The case was подробно analyzed by expert Yurii Podorozhnii in his investigation published by Censor.
According to the report, Prime Agriculture Trading, owned by Ukrainian entrepreneur Yevhen Fedoronchuk, initiated arbitration proceedings under the rules of GAFTA and FOSFA—key international institutions governing global grain trade. The respective cases have been registered as GAFTA No. 19-891 and FOSFA No. 1520.
The parties have already appointed arbitrators, and the tribunals are currently being constituted. The scope of the dispute covers not only contractual performance but also subsequent actions related to the cargo after shipment, including control over the goods and the movement of shipping documents.
The expert also notes that the case has developed in parallel within the criminal law domain. Yevhen Fedoronchuk filed a complaint with Swiss law enforcement authorities regarding alleged unlawful actions by Roman Tereshchenko. The complaint has been accepted for review by the Geneva prosecutor's office and registered under No. P/6284/2026. In addition, a similar filing was submitted to the Dubai Public Prosecution in the UAE, where the case has been registered under No. 2026/23372/37.
At the center of the dispute is an export transaction involving the supply of soybeans and corn from Ukraine to international markets. The total volume of shipped goods amounted to approximately 19.4 thousand tons, with an estimated value of $6.8–7 million. The cargo was transported by sea from the port of Chornomorsk aboard the vessel MAYA.
According to the published documents, Prime Agriculture Trading fulfilled its contractual obligations in full. However, the dispute arose after the shipment—at the stage of further control over the cargo and its commercial disposition.
According to the claimant, the dispute stems from actions related to a change of control over the cargo after it had already been shipped. In particular, this involves an official letter sent on behalf of entities affiliated with Trans Trade Holding of Roman Tereshchenko to the carrier, notifying it of the transfer of rights to dispose of the cargo to a third party. As a result, control over the goods in transit was altered without the consent of the company that had supplied them, which became one of the key elements of the dispute.
Official letter to the carrier regarding the transfer of rights
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