Nizhyn Oil and Fat Combine halts production following Russian attack on 10 November

Production halt following UAV strike

One of the largest industrial facilities in Chernihiv Oblast — the Nizhyn Oil and Fat Combine — ceased production activities as a result of a Russian attack that took place on 10 November 2026. In a statement by the administration of Nizhyn Oil and Fat Combine LLC, published on 11 November, it is noted that a series of drone strikes caused significant damage to the enterprise's property and production infrastructure.

«У зв’язку з наслідками атаки виробничу діяльність підприємства зупинено» (In connection with the consequences of the attack, the enterprise's production activities have been suspended), the plant management emphasised. Meanwhile, thanks to timely response and adherence to safety measures, it was possible to avoid casualties and injuries among the personnel. Currently, work is ongoing on the enterprise's territory to contain the consequences, document the damage, and assess the possibilities for restoring damaged capacities. No official information has been provided regarding specific timelines for resuming operations or the final amount of damages.

Enterprise profile and its significance for the region

The Nizhyn Oil and Fat Combine is one of the oldest and simultaneously modernised players in the Ukrainian oil and fat products market. The plant's history dates back to 1896, and a large-scale modernisation was carried out there during 2020–2024.

The enterprise specialises in the full-cycle processing of sunflower, soybean, and rapeseed. Production capacities allow for the processing of up to 1,200–1,400 tonnes of raw material per day. The main products are vegetable oil, meal, and biofuel. According to declared indicators, monthly oil production is approximately 16,000 tonnes, and meal production is 13,000 tonnes. Thus, the attack dealt a blow not only to a specific plant but also to one of the important enterprises in the agro-processing sector of Chernihiv Oblast.

The management of the oil and fat combine thanked the units of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Chernihiv Oblast for their prompt actions and assistance in overcoming the consequences of the shelling.

Criminal proceedings regarding tax obligations

It is worth noting that even before the attack, the enterprise found itself in the spotlight of law enforcement agencies. Media reported that in autumn 2026, the Nizhyn Oil and Fat Combine became a subject of criminal proceedings under Part 3 of Article 212 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — evasion of tax payment in especially large amounts.

According to the investigation's version, in 2024–2025, the combine purchased sunflower seeds and cake from local farmers in cash. However, in the tax accounting, these operations were recorded as purchases from five companies that have signs of fictitiousness:

• «Кванта космо» (44939410);
• «Дінекс ЮА» (43430732);
• «Клайнц» (45520508);
• «Агроплюс компані» (45475953);
• «Удачна фіра» (45634491).

The total amount of such operations was 433 million hryvnia. The investigation estimates the amount of underpaid corporate income tax to the budget at more than 78 million hryvnia. According to the case materials, these counterparties had no employees, production capacities, transport, or actual purchases of agricultural crops; they filed reports but had no goods trail.

Details of financial operations

Analytics from the Main Directorate of the State Tax Service in Chernihiv Oblast dated 30 April records a separate episode: from 22 April to 10 July 2024, the oil and fat combine transferred 161 million hryvnia to the company «Кванта космо» (Quanta Cosmo) "for seeds and cake". These funds were immediately directed further as payment for used cars and spare parts to four other counterparties, which also had no operations with sunflower. The final link was LLC 'Varni Mol', where 442 million hryvnia converged in operations with signs of non-goods nature. After this, 9.8 million euros were transferred to non-residents.

In the company registry, «Кванта космо» (Quanta Cosmo) has already changed its name to Trash-Opt Company LLC, retaining the same code. The main type of activity (Economic Activity Classification Code) is wholesale trade in waste and scrap, and the registered address is in Kharkiv.

Previously, in 2025, the plant was also involved in tax disputes with the State Tax Service, challenging additional assessments for other counterparties. There is currently no public position from the combine regarding the current criminal case.