Belarusian Companies In Ukraine Change Founders And Names To Avoid Sanctions
- 15.02.2022, 16:57
Some of them also change the type of core business.
Many Belorussian enterprises, which have come under the European Union and the U.S. sanctions, found a way out for the circuit of limitations. Most often, to do this, they break formal ties with their subsidiaries abroad. The journalists of zerkalo.io looked at how the names and owners of Ukrainian companies associated with Belarusian enterprises from the 'black list' have recently changed.
Belneftekhim
The supplier of oil and oil products in Ukraine, BNH Ukraine, was one of the top 200 Ukrainian companies. This firm sells the products of the Belneftekhim Concern, which is under the U.S. sanctions.
The company was renamed Belfert Ukraine in November last year. Immediately after that, the company changed its founder and website. At the same time, the subsidiary company of Belorussian concern replaced the basic form of the activity: from the wholesale trade in components and in equipment for the motor transport means in wholesale trade in chemical products.
However, the head of the company remained the same - Aleg Vialichka. In 2020, he gave an interview to the Belneftekhim Bulletin magazine as the general director of BNH Ukraine, and now he is listed as the director of the renamed company.
In addition, BNH Ukraine is on the list of the Khimvolokno's plant dealers, a branch of Grodno Azot, both of which are under the U.S. sanctions. However, the private company Most Plast, owned by Yuri Maslau and Seirhey Astraverkhau, remains their official dealer in Ukraine.
BelAZ
In July 2021, BelAZ withdrew from the founders of the BelAZ Ukraine Service Trade and Logistics Center, which is not only a service center for the automaker in this country but also has the right to sell equipment of the Belarusian manufacturer. The manufacturer of agricultural machinery Lidselmash Holding Management Company became a new founder. In July last year, Vostok-BelAZ-service, which sells parts and accessories for vehicles, was transferred from BelAZ to it. Radio Svaboda drew attention to this.
In Ukraine, a branch of the company Kryvbas-BelAZ-service SP also continues to operate, the above-mentioned STLC BelAZ Ukraine is the holder of 51% of its shares.
MAZ
The Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ) withdrew from the founders of the MAZ-Ukraine Trading House in the summer of 2021. Moreover, the Minsk Plant of Automatic Lines named after Masherov, which now owns 99% of the shares, and the Zhodino Forging Plant of Heavy Forgings with a 1% share took its place. The latter company is a part of the Belavtomaz Holding together with MAZ.
Andrei Vlasenko, the director of the official MAZ distributor, is also listed as a co-founder and head of the Ukrelectroprom Company, which is engaged in non-specialized wholesale trade (mainly mining equipment).
Belkaztrans-Ukraine
The Ukrainian company of the Belarusian businessman Nikalai Varabei is engaged in the transportation of goods, in particular Russian coal. The company came under the U.S. sanctions last year. The businessman disappeared from the list of founders and beneficiaries of the company in August. Now Hayk Arushanyan is listed as the beneficiary and holder of 100% of the shares.
The Novaya Neftyanaya Kompaniya operates in the country on behalf of the Belkaztrans-Ukraine, it's shareholders were considered to be Nikalai Varabei himself, Alaiksei Aleksin and Mikhail Gutseriyev. In addition, the Development Bank owned 0.7% of the company’s shares.
Belarusian Potash Company
The Belaruskali trader has had a subsidiary trading company Agrorozkvit in Ukraine since 2016. Moreover, BPC owns 60% of the shares, another 40% belong to Agrofertrans Ltd. The beneficiary is Aliaksandr Skrypka, who is closely associated with the second company. The company continues to operate under its own name. At the same time, the BPC no longer belongs to the beneficiaries of the company at the end of 2020.
Belarusian Oil Company
The largest supplier of oil products to Ukraine, BNK-Ukraine, is a subsidiary of the Belarusian Oil Company (BNK), which exports products from the Mozyr Oil Refinery. On the website of the Ukrainian company, the Belarusian Oil Company is indicated as its founder, and BNK (56.53%) and Belorusneft (43.47%) appear on third-party specialized resources.
According to open sources, the company replaced neither name nor founders. However, BNK- Ukraine has not specified the producer of oil products for sale since recently. If in November last year the documents included a producer of oil products, now only the volume of products offered appears there. Now it is simply indicated, that it is the 'Belorussian production', and a place of production is considerable based on the supply source, it is the Mozir-11 oil base (Mozyr NPZ).
Belorusneft
Service Oil is a subsidiary of Belorusneft, it also changed its founder at the very end of last year. They became Pukhovichinefteprodukt, which is engaged in the sale of petroleum products through a network of gas stations and shops in the Minsk region. Since 2005, it has been a part of Belorusneft, which is under the U.S. sanctions.