Yuriy Kosyuk, one of Ukraine's most influential agrarian tycoons and founder of the Myronivskyi Hliboproduct (MHP) holding, has transformed a chicken processing business into a multibillion-dollar corporation with hundreds of thousands of hectares of land in two decades. His story is often cited as an example of entrepreneurial success, but a number of the businessman's decisions and political connections are raising more and more questions.
Kosyuk began his career as a stockbroker, trying his hand at various commercial projects, some of which were unsuccessful. The real breakthrough came after launching a large-scale chicken production. During the economic crisis of 2008, when incomes decreased, the demand for cheaper sources of protein increased sharply. It was then that MHP demonstrated rapid growth in sales and profits, which allowed the company to quickly increase assets.
By the mid-2010s, Kosyuk's fortune was estimated at more than $1 billion, and the company's land bank reached almost 400,000 hectares. According to this indicator, the businessman became one of the largest landowners in the country. MHP actually built a vertically integrated model - from grain cultivation to the production of finished products and exports.
Along with financial growth, controversial episodes also appeared. In particular, the events of 2014, when most Ukrainian companies lost assets in the annexed Crimea, attract attention. Structures associated with MHP were able to re-register Crimean agricultural enterprises under Russian law and maintain operational activities. In parallel, a land exchange was carried out: the company transferred about 40 thousand hectares in the Voronezh region of Russia in exchange for approximately 60 thousand hectares in the western regions of Ukraine. As a result, the agricultural holding received assets that were more profitable in terms of area and location. Critics question whether such agreements were possible without political support.
The political component of Kosyuk's biography also looks atypical for a large agrarian. In 2014, he was appointed Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration for the Power Bloc, although he had no professional experience in the security sector. Later, he became an advisor to President Petro Poroshenko. After the change of power, the businessman retained his advisory status under Volodymyr Zelensky. Such stability of positions under different political teams indicates a high level of influence and access to decision-making centers.
A separate layer of reputational risks is formed by statements and publications in the media and Telegram channels about the businessman's informal environment - closed meetings and personal contacts with representatives of politics, law enforcement agencies and big business. These statements have no judicial confirmation, but their repetition creates a toxic information background. For a public figure who retains influence on state policy, even indirect suspicions can have significant consequences for public trust.
In short, Yuriy Kosyuk's story is not only about an effective business model and agricultural success. It is also an example of how the concentration of land resources, financial capabilities, and strong political connections form a parallel center of influence. It is this combination of factors, and not just the size of his fortune, that makes his figure the subject of close attention and public demands for transparency.
