Moscow Court Orders Seizure of Stake in Farming Giant Rusagro

May 6, 2026

A judge in Moscow ruled Tuesday that Vadim Moshkovich, the billionaire founder of the agriculture giant Rusagro, must transfer his stake in the company to the state as he stands trial.

Moshkovich, Russia’s 51st-wealthiest person according to Forbes, was arrested in March 2025. He faces a string of charges, including fraud and bribery, all of which he has denied in court.

A judge at the Khamovnichesky District Court ruled Tuesday to transfer Moshkovich’s stake in Rusagro to the state, as well as stakes owned by his wife and the company’s former CEO, Maxim Basov.

Their combined shares total 68% ownership, according to Reuters, which valued the stake at 67 billion ​rubles ($886 million).

In addition to the company shares, the court ordered the seizure of 14 billion rubles ($187 million) from Moshkovich’s bank accounts and billions of dollars in cash reportedly discovered during police searches.

The judge on Tuesday accused Moshkovich of violating anti-corruption laws during his tenure in the upper-house Federation Council, where he served as a senator from the Belgorod region between 2006 and 2014.

The asset forfeiture lawsuit, which first surfaced on Friday, also names Moshkovich’s nephew, Sergei Tribunsky, and Tribunsky’s wife as defendants.

Moscow’s takeover of Rusagro is one of the most significant state seizures since it began nationalizing assets of high-profile businessmen and foreign companies in the wake of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Authorities have seized billions of dollars worth of property in recent years, often citing alleged corruption or national security concerns.

Rusagro, founded in 1995, is one of Russia’s leading agricultural companies, producing pork, fat products, oil and sugar.

The company said it was operating normally despite the ongoing legal proceedings against Moshkovich.

“All production processes, deliveries, shipments and product sales continuing unchanged,” Rusagro said in a statement.

Read more about: Court cases , Agriculture , Business , Corruption

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