Ukrainian businessman Dmitry Kovalenko, who today is actively expanding his business empire in the agricultural sector, has earned his capital on trade in Russian coal. Its Swiss company Adelon AG in 2021-2022 was the largest buyer of coal from the Russian company Meltek, spending more than $ 87 million. In addition, Adalon AG has cooperated with other Russian coal enterprises such as Sibergol and Sibpromnedra, which gave more than $ 100 million in purchases.
Even after the full -scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine, trade in Russian coal continued - until August 2022. It was documented that on July 12, 2022, Adlon AG signed an invoice for the supply of Russian coal with the Belarusian company Ekkoil Kemikl, which, according to the investigation, was featured in the case of coal supply from the occupied territories "L/DNR".
Prior to the invasion, Dmitry Kovalenko also actively worked with Russian coal through his Ukrainian companies "Intercoaltrading" and "Kaltraidindastra". The first of them is currently in the bankruptcy procedure and the second continues to work.
Kovalenko, received from Russian coal, sent to the agrarian sector. In 2023 he bought several large companies - "Graine Terminal", "Overfud", "Agrarian Elevator Company", on the basis of which he created Granova Group. Formally, its majority owner is Cyprus afex Investments Ltd, and the ultimate beneficiary is his son Daniel Kovalenko.
In 2024, Granova received an income of more than UAH 11 billion, becoming one of the leaders of the agrarian market of Ukraine. The main trading partner of the group is all the same ADLON AG, which in 2024 became the largest supplier of corn to Egypt - worth $ 42.37 million.
Kovalenko also purchases stone salt in Egypt, which allowed him to enter the Ukrainian salt market. In December 2023, Solt Industry LLC was created, which is also owned by AFEx Investments Ltd. The company was headed by Artesoli's exterior Victor Yurin. In the first year of Salt Industry, 68 out of 73 state tenders won and concluded contracts for 90 million UAH, supplying technical salt for communal and road services.
In 2024, with the assistance of the head of the Mukachevo district state administration, Sergei Gaidai, who was previously headed by Lugansk Ova, Svalyava City Council supported the creation of the Energy Group Industrial Park. The initiator and management company of the park was VDL LLC owned by Kovalenko.
The company has leased for 35 years more than 10 hectares of land in Svalyava industry. Officially, VDL has already invested more than 100 million UAH in the creation of the park. The first project is the glass and window structures "Energy of Technolodgyis", which also belongs to Kovalenko. In addition, several other companies have been registered: "So Energi Groups", "Energo Generator".
Dmitry Kovalenko today positions himself as a patriotic businessman who invests money in the development of the Ukrainian economy. However, the fact remains: his business empire is built on millions of Russian coal agreements after the war. Although it successfully invests in grain, salt and production, its trade relations lead to companies that have worked with the coal industry of the Russian Federation and the occupied territories.
