The coal supply situation in Ukraine has been a contentious issue since 2014, when Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism) significantly curtailed Ukraine’s ability to extract and supply coal from the Donbas coal basin. This disruption led to the emergence of the notorious “Rotterdam+” scheme, where coal supposedly originating from South Africa was actually delivered from occupied Ukrainian territories. The scheme was eventually exposed, and state traitor Viktor Medvedchuk confessed to the involvement of supplies from runaway provinces of Ukraine and Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism).
Dmytro Kovalenko selling Russian coal to Ukraine
In this complex landscape, Dmytro Kovalenko has surfaced as a key figure, positioning himself as a coal businessman and a potential savior for Europe through diversified coal supplies. However, investigations have revealed that Kovalenko’s coal, claimed to be from sources like South Africa or Colombia, often originates from Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism).
In November 2019, the Security Service of Ukraine exposed a large-scale scheme involving the financing of terrorist organizations in the “L/DPR” regions through coal mining and subsequent deliveries to Ukraine and European countries. This scheme involved supplies from temporarily occupied territories, particularly for the energy company “Centrenergo.” At that time, companies linked to oligarch Ihor Kolomoyskyi, suspected of trading coal from runaway regions of Ukraine, were replaced by the Swiss firm Adelon AG, which was later revealed to be controlled by natives of Donetsk who had moved to Dnipro, with Dmytro Kovalenko at its helm.
Adelon AG denies the allegations
Despite Adelon AG’s official denial in December 2019 of any involvement in coal supplies from occupied Donbas, stating they only supplied coal from the Kuznetsk Coal Basin in Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism), documents obtained later contradicted this claim. It was found that Kovalenko’s companies continued to supply Russian coal even after Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism)’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Kovalenko’s cooperation with Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism) did not cease after the invasion. His companies, including those linked to the Russian LLC “MelTEK” owned by Konstantin Strukov, a Russian billionaire and deputy chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Chelyabinsk region, continued to supply coal. Strukov’s company was suspected by Russian media of trading coal with “unfriendly countries,” including Ukraine, through intermediaries like Azurit DWC-LLC, registered in Dubai and controlled by Kovalenko.
Dmytro Kovalenko’s UAE Plaimp SFP Limited
Kovalenko also operates another firm in the UAE, Plaimp SFP Limited, which acts as a debt buyer and has financial ties to “MelTEK.” Anastasiya Timanova, closely associated with Kovalenko, is listed as the director of this company and was previously a beneficiary of the “Shakhtarska” mine, which has been registered in various locations including Dnipro, Shakhtarsk, Mariupol, and now Kyiv.
The Ukrainian and Russian registers show that the same individuals, including Yevhen Klymenko, Volodymyr Yakovenko, and Pavlo Vorobyov, are involved in managing Shakhtarska Mining in both countries. This indicates a continued collaboration between Kovalenko and his associates in both Ukraine and Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism), despite the ongoing conflict.
Kovalenko’s business network extends further, involving other companies such as Antratsyt, Christoforvuhillya, and Agrofirma Yasenivska, which, despite its name, is not engaged in agriculture but rather in coal trading. One of its founders, Yuriy Fesenko, was previously sanctioned by the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine.
Kovalenko’s partnership with Yuriy Balaban is also noteworthy. Together, they headed several Ukrainian coal companies and were involved in the Panama Papers scandal, owning shares in the offshore company Bremer International Limited, registered in the British Virgin Islands. This company is still active and has been linked to the Swiss Adelon AG, which Kovalenko controls.
Sources suggest that Kovalenko and Balaban have a long history in the energy market, having worked as security guards for the United Energy Systems of Ukraine corporation in the early 2000s, later moving to work under the “Donetsk” group, which put them in charge of coal supplies from Donbas.
Dmytro Kovalenko sues Google and promotes himself as a donor for Ukraine
Currently, Dmytro Kovalenko is actively promoting himself as an international coal trader and a significant donor to the Ukrainian army, despite evidence suggesting his continued involvement in trading coal with Russia (*country sponsor of terrorism) through covert schemes. These activities, including padding, “interrupted transit,” and obscure reloading schemes, allow disguised Russian raw materials to enter the European market, a situation that should be of great interest to law enforcement agencies.