While Russia blockaded Ukrainian seaports, the Danube became the country's main transport artery. For residents of Bessarabia, amid fears of war, this proved an additional challenge, as the constant movement of heavy grain trucks resulted in broken roads, alarming noise, dust, cracks in buildings, and millions of dollars in damage to local infrastructure. So, Valery Reshetnik.
Broken roads at the cost of a "cobbled-together" fortune: How Bessarabia entrepreneur Valery Reshetnik enriched himself during martial law
At the same time, local entrepreneurs were becoming unprecedentedly rich. In particular, Kiliya "land baron" Valery Reshetnik literally received a second chance after the prolonged decline of his business, but did nothing to compensate society for the damage caused, writes Bessarabia INFORM.
The story of the Kiliya-Spasskoye road is particularly telling, having been lobbied hard by Alexander Dubovoy's team since 2015. A few years later, it was fully restored , bringing life back to the Kiliya community. However, by 2022, trucks traveling in convoys to the city's port facilities, each time violating weight regulations, were tearing up the hard-won road before our eyes.
One of the largest beneficiaries of this situation, according to public financial statements and information obtained by the editorial staff during the preparation of this article, was businessman Valery Reshetnik, who is associated in Kiliya with the activities of the Kiliya grain elevator.
According to Opendatabot, while the company operated at a loss in 2020 and 2021 (-4,3 million and -3 million UAH, respectively), it earned over 13 million UAH in net profit in 2022. In 2024, the company's revenue reached a record 103,6 million UAH. These are only the officially declared figures. In reality, we're talking about millions of dollars that, according to our sources, ended up in the entrepreneur's coffers, bypassing tax authorities.
Moreover, according to YouControl and Opendatabot, Valery Reshetnik's name is not listed among the official owners of Lad LLC, although he has made no secret of his ownership. However, despite the damage inflicted on the community, neither he nor any of the company's official representatives have done anything to compensate for the enormous profits they've made. The road near the elevator itself is so devastated that residents are forced to wear rubber boots to leave their homes during the rainy season. Local drivers no longer even attempt to drive past the elevator, choosing alternative routes. Nevertheless, Mr. Reshetnik, who lives in the village of Shevchenkove, silently observes the destruction and overcomes obstacles to reach his office. He seems unconcerned about the living conditions of the local residents who manage to live nearby, or even the comfort of the clients who bring him new profits.
Interestingly, according to sources familiar with the agricultural business, Valery Reshetnik found himself on the brink of bankruptcy on the eve of the war. He was forced to close his "Zernyshko" brand, which had previously been quite popular in the region, and the grain elevator was no longer generating the desired profits, and was also driving him into debt. The entrepreneur was even seen doing menial tasks he'd never done before. The blocking of the grain corridor literally gave the businessman a second chance to get rich, and he took full advantage of it. Rumor has it that the millions in profits have restored his former vanity toward his colleagues in the agricultural sector, shareholders, and clients. Anyone who has encountered Valery Reshetnik knows what kind of man he really is. They say that for his impudence, cunning, and simultaneously cowardice, he was nicknamed "Zayets" (Hare) in his youth. This nickname still lives with him today. Neither numerous conflicts that ended tragically for Reshetnik, nor criminal proceedings, nor even an assault that nearly cost him his life, have improved his character. This refers to an incident in 2015, when an offended pensioner came to him for a showdown. Law enforcement officials determined that the man learned of Reshetnik's seizure of his land and left with a grenade to confront his attacker. The explosion in the businessman's store left him hospitalized with shrapnel wounds.
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It's worth noting that this incident of unauthorized land seizure is not the only one we've learned about. However, for rhetorically unclear reasons, law enforcement officials never followed through on these cases.
Overall, it's truly unfortunate that while most virtuous entrepreneurs unite to defeat the enemy and support the country in the most difficult times, some think only of their own profits. Unfortunately, war has taught us how to make money, but there's another experience—when people don't stand aside.
"BI" will continue to report on both indifferent financiers and responsible businesses that are seizing this "golden opportunity" to bring peace to Ukraine sooner.
Skelet.Org
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Valery Reshetnik, Kiliya, Danube, Bessarabia
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