Russian Authorities Attempt to Seize Assets of Vodka Brand After Accusing Ukrainian Founder of ‘Sponsoring Terrorism’

Russian authorities are attempting to seize the assets of a multi-national vodka brand after accusing its Ukrainian founder of terrorism. (Photo: CTK via AP Images)

The Moscow Times reported on Wednesday that Khortytsa Vodka is attracting attention from Russian authorities after its Ukrainian founder was accused of offering financial support to Kyiv’s armed forces during the ongoing war in Ukraine.

The news outlet reported that authorities have since made the move of seizing the vodka brand’s assets based within the country in addition to filing a lawsuit intending to prevent the distillers at Global Spirits Holding, the brand’s parent company, from working in Russia. Russian officials claimed the team at Global Spirits Holding’s “extremist activities” were the reasons for the move.

In June, the Russian government charged Yevhen Cherniak, the founder of Global Spirits Holding, with allegations of “sponsoring terrorism,” according to The Moscow Times. Local authorities discovered that he allegedly sent over 1 billion rubles ($11 million) to Ukraine’s military. In an interesting twist of events, The Moscow Times reported that Kyiv accused the Global Spirits Holding founder of paying $157 million to Russia in taxes. Cherniak denies these charges.

In the lawsuit, Russian officials listed distillers Russky Sever, Standart Kachestva, Rodnik i K and Brand Group Corporation Limited in addition to four unmentioned defendants. The country intends to transfer all the stakes of these distillers to the state and seize control of the brand.

The outlet reported that Russia has made an effort to seize assets of multiple large companies within the country, and claimed a major Russian winery and pasta maker have since been nationalized during the ongoing conflict. Al Jazeera reported on Tuesday that the war in Ukraine had extended to 810 days.

In April, a pair of Russian soldiers faced charges of going on a murder spree in Ukraine after they were unable to obtain alcohol within the occupied portion of Kherson Oblast. The duo were reported to have driven a military truck through the area in search of alcohol and purportedly killed those who denied them. They apparently took the lives of seven and burned down multiple homes.

Local police detained the two soldiers after they drank themselves unconscious. One of the individuals, Alexander Osipov, confessed to four of the seven murders.

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