Founder of Ukraine Grain Firm Nibulon Killed by Russian Shelling

(Bloomberg) --

The multi-millionaire owner of Nibulon, one of Ukraine’s largest agricultural companies, died during a Russian attack on the southern city of Mykolaiv on Sunday, according to the region’s governor.

Oleksiy Vadaturskyi and his wife Raisa Vadaturska were killed in their home during shelling that hit several targets, including schools, a sports complex and private residences, governor Vitaliy Kim said in a post on Telegram.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy expressed his condolences, calling the deaths “a great loss for Mykolaiv and the whole Ukraine.”

Vadaturskyi, 74, founded Nibulon in 1991 with partners from the UK and Hungary, according to the company’s website. Over the decades it expanded into one of the country’s largest grain storage and logistics companies, operating in at least eight of Ukraine’s 27 regions and employing some 7,000 people. Nibulon developed its own river fleet to transport grain to export terminals.

Named a “Hero of Ukraine,” the nation’s top civilian honor, in 2007, Vadaturskyi was also awarded the title “Man of the Year” in Mykolaiv for his contributions to Ukraine’s agricultural sector.

“His contribution to the development of the agricultural and shipbuilding industry, the development of the region, is invaluable,” Kim wrote. Forbes in 2021 ranked Vadaturskyi the 24th wealthiest Ukrainian, with a net worth of $430 million.

Born into a farming family in Ukraine’s Odesa region, Vadaturskyi started his career as an chemical engineer after graduating from the Odesa Technological Institute. He specialized in bread production and distribution in Mykolaiv before starting Nibulon.

“Oleksiy Vadaturskiy and his company were never afraid of challenges and were guided by love to their neighbourhood,” Zelenskiy said in a statement. “They were inspired themselves and inspired the others. They were an example to follow.”

(Updates with Zelenskiy, other details from third paragraph.)

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Author: Olesia Safronova and Áine Quinn