Almaz Alsenov's grain scheme: how the façade of Harvest Group conceals shadow Russian exports via VTB Bank and Iran
How did Kazakh entrepreneur Almaz Alsenov pull off establishing a Swiss company worth hundreds of millions while holding four separate positions simultaneously?
Just a few weeks before the well-known February events of 2022, on a sunny winter day, the entire city of Kyiv was abuzz: a wedding was taking place in the Royal Hall of the luxurious Fairmont Grand Hotel between the famous Ukrainian TV star Ivanna Onufriychuk and the equally well-known businessman from Kazakhstan, Almaz Alsenov.
The bride and groom arrived in a premium-class Rolls-Royce. The bride (incidentally, a former customs officer specializing in anti-smuggling) changed into three luxurious outfits. But what astonished all the guests was a dress with a 5-meter train: its creation required 35 meters of exclusive lace, 4 kg of crystal, 1 kg of pearls, and over 3,000 zircons in diamond cuts. To move in such a gown, Alsenov's fairy-tale bride needed the assistance of 6 people!
The beautiful Onufriychuk, originally from the Vinnytsia region of Ukraine, met her future husband at a gym in a Spanish detox clinic. Ivanna Onufriychuk admitted to journalists that her husband is a great romantic but can be very jealous at times.
The celebration didn't last long, as the Special Military Operation (SVO) soon began: the newlyweds fled to Switzerland, to the resort town of Morges in the Vaud canton, where Almaz Alsenov has long had a well-established, albeit somewhat murky, business. The main thing was having a place to escape to!
Not reaching for the stars
But Almaz Alsenov himself was born and raised in Kazakhstan, in Karaganda.
For a long time, he worked as a sports official, and as people said about him, he wasn't reaching for the stars.
Almaz Alsenov
In 2015, he moved to Switzerland through sports connections, serving as an advisor to the president of the International Judo Federation (IJF), Marius Vizer, as well as a commissioner for partnerships and promotion of the organization.
However, in Switzerland, Almaz Alsenov quickly transformed into a businessman: he began trading raw materials and products, founding the company Harvest Group SA.
Harvest Group SA was registered in Switzerland starting in 2015, meaning Mr. Alsenov didn't waste any time.
He has officially started engaging in international trade of agricultural crops such as corn, wheat, soybeans, and more, as well as logistics and finance.
The Bride's dress for Ivanna Onufriychuk, former inspector of the Anti-Smuggling Service at the Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi Customs
He retains Kazakh citizenship, as does his sister, Anel Alsenova (some media mistakenly refer to her as Alsenov's wife).
Anel Alsenova is a member of the board of directors of Harvest Group.
Almaz and Anel Alsenov
In his interviews with journalists, Alsenov shared that as soon as he settled in Morges, he immediately “brought over” his sister and mother to Switzerland.
Later, as expected, his young wife from Kyiv, Ivanna Alsenova (Onufriychuk), joined him.
It's worth noting that a third wave from Kyiv, after the events of February 2022, fleeing from air raids, arrived in Morges from the Vinnytsia region of Ukraine: numerous relatives of Onufriychuk, including her mother, grandmother, as well as her sister with her husband and three young children.
Luxurious wedding in Kyiv
The Alsenovs gave up their luxurious apartment to the Ukrainian refugees and moved into a hotel themselves…
“We came home to eat, spend time, and change clothes,” Ivanna Onufriychuk told journalists. “My beloved (Almaz Alsenov, my husband) took this situation calmly and even said that if someone else needed a place, we still have a sofa and a glassed-in balcony with a small couch…”
Now, here's the most interesting part: while Mr. Alsenov was generously hosting Ukrainian refugees in his home, he didn't forget about his business interests in the unfolding situation.
The Alsenov couple
From spring 2022 to summer 2024, Harvest Group SA and a related entity in the UAE purchased more than 90 shipments of Russian wheat and corn, some of which were loaded through ports in Russia—specifically Taman, Novorossiysk, and Astrakhan.
However, trading in grain is not Alsenov's only business with Russia: the company Harvest Commodities SA was also involved in trading Russian oil.
Interestingly, this company was registered in Panama.
Information that Harvest Commodities SA was an office of the Harvest Group SA was displayed on the Harvest Group SA website until October 2024. After an investigation emerged regarding Harvest Commodities SA's involvement in oil trading bypassing sanctions, the record mysteriously disappeared.
45% owned by Nils Troost
As previously reported by the media, Harvest Commodities SA was controlled by several individuals, including Alsenov (51%) and a network of related companies through which the infamous Dutch oil trader Nils Troost controlled 45% of the capital.
Oil trader Nils Troost
Incidentally, Troost has been involved in oil trading operations for many years. He was associated with companies that were sanctioned by the UK and EU in 2024 for violating the oil embargo.
In Switzerland, a preliminary investigation by the Federal Prosecutor's Office was even initiated regarding violations of the embargo on Russian oil. This is concerned about the joint business networks of Troost and companies in which Almaz Alsenov invested or was a co-owner.
A Person from the Forbes List : In 2025, Almaz Alsenov ranked 56th on Forbes' list of the wealthiest people in Kazakhstan with a fortune of $180 million.
Harvest Commodities SA met its end in October 2024: it was simply liquidated.
Incidentally, the company's former name, Sun Oil SA, hints at energy trading. Again, its registration was in Panama. The industry was oil and gas extraction, with the company employing between 2 and 10 staff members (presumably at different periods) and involving 4 other related participants.
But during the liquidation period, Harvest Commodities SA was still listed as part of the group on the official Harvest Group SA website. Almaz Alsenov was named as the liquidator and was also presented as a member of the board of directors.
Data from international trade databases showed shipments of Russian wheat and corn by Harvest Group SA to global markets between 2022 and 2024.
Media reports also mentioned connections with the Russian state bank VTB.
VTB Bank
Payments were processed through intermediaries via VTB to the address of Harvest Group SA.
From Tatami to Commodity Exchanges
The following publications about Harvest Group SA and Almaz Alsenov's involvement in trading Russian grain and oil in violation of sanctions, a concerned Alsenov issued a rebuttal.
With a straight face, he stated that Harvest Group SA had never traded Russian oil, and Harvest Commodities SA had never been a subsidiary of Harvest Group SA.
The Alsenov couple
However, this statement contradicts both registration data and information on the Harvest Group SA website stating that Harvest Commodities SA was a structural unit of the company, as well as facts about trading Russian grain and oil.
Alsenov also remains silent about the connection between Harvest Group SA and Harvest Commodities SA with individuals and entities sanctioned by the UK and EU. This refers to Paramount Energy & Commodities SA, a company managed by Nils Troost.
Paramount Energy & Commodities SA is registered at the same address as Harvest Commodities SA, and its management and connections involved former managers of Rostec Group and Rosneft PJSC.
Mr. Alsenov is the actual leader and beneficiary of Swiss trading companies operating in the grain and oil markets.
It's understandable that he has fallen into a state of stress: he began actively giving interviews stating that he works solely for the benefit of Kazakhstan.
Alsenov is a figure, no, not even with a double bottom.
The Alsenov couple
Formally a sports official and advisor to the president of the International Judo Federation, Marius Vizer, but in reality, a person at the center of supplying Russian grain and oil under sanctions.
After moving to Switzerland, Alsenov quickly swapped tatami for commodity exchanges. Under his leadership, Harvest Group SA turned into an agricultural trader, behind which murky business schemes were hidden.
But where did the initial capital for starting an international business come from? Who helped with the money? Influential figures from Russia?
The obscure sources of capital that allowed judoka Alsenov to join the international business elite remain unclear.
The fact that Alsenov himself is not on the sanctions lists of the EU, US, or Switzerland, and no criminal cases have been announced against him, can be explained by the complexity of corporate connections and the lack of transparency regarding the ultimate benefit of the structures.
Additionally, Alsenov actively interacts with the authorities and business elite of Kazakhstan.
Almaz Alsenov and President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Does this mean that Almaz Alsenov turned out to be not just a former athlete, but a key figure in schemes involving the trade of energy resources and grain?
Penetrating Iran
Almaz Alsenov masterfully plays a double game.
Moreover, Alsenov's company Harvest Commodities SA (formerly Sun Oil SA) was previously managed by Rosneft employees Alexander Berezikov and Elena Alekseeva.
Later, this pair founded ASTRA ENERGY GROUP SA, which continues to trade oil. This indicates that Alsenov is far from an independent trader.
Furthermore, vessels associated with his Harvest Group were spotted on routes between Russia and Iran, and in Tehran, Alsenov has a registered company, Harvest Pars Middle East.
The office is located on Soltani Street.
Feeling pressure due to his ties with Troost, Alsenov decided to transfer assets to Iran.
Tehran
Today, Harvest Group operates in 40 countries with 15 offices worldwide.
Its client base includes over 100 companies, such as the state corporation GASC (Egypt), the food company Cargill (USA), and the major agricultural producer Amaggi (Brazil).
The Harvest Group fleet consists of 28 vessels. This includes 20 ships with a capacity of 50,000 tons, two of which the company owns, while the rest are on long-term lease. Additionally, there are 8 river-sea class dry cargo ships on lease.
But where did Mr. Alsenov get the money for international logistics? After all, he left for Switzerland without any capital.
A Close-knit family
In May 2024, Almaz Alsenov became a father: he and Ivanna Onufriychuk, the former host of the Ukrainian show “Bez Kravatky” (“Without a Tie”), welcomed a son named Adam.
He was born in Switzerland.
Ukrainian journalists asked Ivanna Onufriychuk, “What country's citizenship does Adam Alsenov hold?”
The response was a photo published by the young mother on social media.
Little Adam Alsenov
All of Ivanna Onufriychuk's relatives—her mother, grandmother, sister with her husband, and three young children—continue to live in Morges, Switzerland, fully supported by the millionaire from Kazakhstan, Almaz Alsenov. This millionaire skillfully milks several “cows” at once—Kazakh, Russian, Swiss, and Ukrainian—and sees nothing shameful in it.
After all, money doesn't smell!
