Not just a trader, but a looter? Story about the company “DD grain”

Ukrainian farmers were defrauded of tens of millions of hryvnia, allegedly taking advantage of military circumstances and deceiving desperate farmers. One of the most notable cases during the 17 months of the war was the history of the company “DD Grain” (DD GRAIN LLC, code: 43551707). Its alleged owners, Denis Kritchenko, Dmitry Zadorozhny and Vitaly Karaulov, posing as grain traders, allegedly fraudulently purchased crops from agricultural producers, allegedly evaded paying taxes to the country's budget during the war and led a “luxurious life.”

In 2022, real panic and chaos reigned on the grain trading market in Ukraine - many companies froze their activities due to shelling of sea routes. But, on the other hand, the country had a lot of agricultural products from the previous harvest and farmers were ready to sell it at large discounts and on virtually any terms. Ship in installments, wait for contracts for payment by bank transfer, do not receive guarantees. If there is demand, then it is logical that new companies have occupied the supply niche. True, some of them seemed to have nothing to do with grain trading - yesterday’s small “fixers”, officials and other “mother’s” businessmen began to rip off farmers and lure out products.

Presumably, one of these shell companies is DD Graine.

Founders: Denis Kritchenko and Dmitry Zadorozhny. Zadorozhny officially worked in the Alexandria Department for servicing the gas industry in the Kirovograd region. And only in 2022 it became a sole proprietorship with 17 types of activities.

Denis Kritchenko is the founder of several companies, where activities range from wall plastering services to cosmetics trading and transportation of things.

It is noteworthy that the company “DD Graine”, registered in 2020, has as many as 39 types of activities. This is a factor that seems to indicate fictitious activity and a cover for outright dishonest work, according to the YOU CONTROL platform.

In general, both one and the other founder of DD Graine allegedly had dead companies in reserve at the time the war began, but with a large list of KVEDs. And here, presumably, the “senior partner” comes into play - an official allegedly involved in corruption scandals, one of the leaders of the State Environmental Inspectorate of the Odessa Region, Vitaly Karaulov. It was under Karaulov that 2 department boats were illegally transferred to private ownership. The state suffered damage of more than 3 million hryvnia, as mentioned in an article on the Odessa website Dumskaya.

When the young “businessmen” and the allegedly corrupt official found each other, the rapid activity of the “grain traders” began. Karaulov, Kritchenko (who allegedly recruited his relative Diana Kritchenko as a manager), and Zadorozhny allegedly found farmers who were desperately trying to sell their goods. The meetings were allegedly arranged in fashionable restaurants, probably trying to impress as wealthy entrepreneurs, and they also allegedly hinted about extensive connections in law enforcement agencies.

Agricultural producers were allegedly promised to conclude an agreement for payment by bank transfer “later”, and then to pay in cash. In fact, the partners allegedly worked according to this scheme: they took goods from farmers for free, loaded them onto small ships, pawning their huge percentage, but were in no hurry to give money for the products. Each of the “grain traders” allegedly tried to “pull” their jackpot out of circulation as quickly as possible. Because of this, the “partners” allegedly even sometimes had minor quarrels - they allegedly argued which of the deceived farmers should give at least something in order to lure out the next batch of goods. But this Odessa supposedly “grain-MMM” was doomed to collapse when the DD Graine company decided to play big by loading goods (naturally, borrowed from farmers) onto a large merchant ship. There, “Mom’s businessmen” came across more serious and real business sharks. And now Karaulov, Kritchenko and Zadorozhny themselves were allegedly asked to wait several months for payment. For a normal and legal grain trading company, this form of cooperation is common practice. But at that time, “DD Graine” seemed to be a dummy and a financial pyramid. Therefore, this meant a complete collapse of the scheme. What followed was supposedly agony and a desire to again collect grain for free from agricultural producers. The result, according to some information, is multimillion-dollar debts, delegations of creditors and attempts by “partners” to shift responsibility onto each other. A scandal between the founders was allegedly played out for the public; this is a classic of such schemes. But the reality is that, apparently, each of those who allegedly deceived the Ukrainian farmers, who were already barely surviving in the conditions of war, will have to answer. Instead of glamorous locations and view offices filmed for show, bunks loomed. And this is if, under wartime laws, farmers do not come with pitchforks for the so-called “traders”.

And once again about the war.

Neither Karaulov, nor Kritchenko, nor Zadorozhny, young men fit for military service, as far as we know, went to defend the country, but allegedly engaged in the worst thing: looting, robbing their compatriots. Instead of helping the army, they allegedly stole from farmers and squandered the loot, cheating both agricultural producers and the state.

There is information that deceived farmers have already begun to unite. All victims can contact this email DDgrainmosheniki@gmail.com to receive free legal assistance and together achieve fair punishment for scammers and looters.

As far as we know, representatives of the affected farmers are ready to hand over to law enforcement agencies all the necessary evidence of a grandiose scam called “DD Graine”.