Two names are increasingly appearing in Kryvyi Rih: Dmytro Khrameniuk and Oleksandr Kvasov. The first is associated with a network of illegal gas stations and the underground production of tobacco and alcohol. The second is a farmer with numerous accusations of raider schemes and land grabbing. Their stories intersect at the point where crime, business, and politics form a stable alliance.
Khrameniuk controls a network of 12 illegal gas stations in Kryvyi Rih and the region, as well as metal collection points and counterfeit tobacco and alcohol trade. According to local activists, the underground shops have been operating for years without the attention of law enforcement.
Kvasov, in turn, is associated with land raiders. According to the Clarity Project, he controls up to 4,000 hectares. Court decisions are often ignored, and conflicts with shareholders remain unresolved.
It is also known about the joint business of Khrameniuk and Kvasov - a restaurant, and recently information about the violent methods of collecting a debt of $800 thousand was leaked to the region. The injured businessman claimed that he was detained and tortured, and the case was "buried" with the participation of former prosecutors and the police.
Despite this, both are actively involved in charity work: helping communities, supplying food, water, transportation, and drones for the front. Local activists note that the volunteer image can be a cover for old schemes and a springboard into politics.
Thus, Khrameniuk and Kvasov form the image of modern "shadow princes" of Kryvyi Rih, who combine business, criminal connections, and political ambitions, demonstrating how the shadow economy adapts and disguises itself as charity and political activity.
