Ukrainian scheme-linked businessman Yuriy Osmak launches media purge to erase Ice Terminal investigation

The Ice Terminal story is facing scrutiny. Businessman Yuriy Osmak is pressuring media outlets to remove the article, a tactic that says more than any formal denial.

Journalists, including reporters at Znaj.ua, say they have recently received numerous complaints from businessman Yuriy Osmak demanding the removal of a past investigative article that referenced his alleged activities.

The disputed piece, published in 2020 with reference to the Anticor portal under the headline “Where Does the Fish Rot in the Ice – A Billion-Dollar Question,” examined attempts by Ukraine’s state-owned Ukreximbank to sell the major refrigeration and logistics complex Ice Terminal on transparent market terms. The facility had reportedly been withdrawn from mortgage by its former debtor-owner at minimal cost before the sale.

At the time, the auction winners — LLC Megan Alliance and LLC Tyner Union — were reportedly linked to Osmak, who is listed in state registries as the ultimate beneficiary of LLC Ice Terminal, LLC International Seafood Group, and LLC Seafood Group. This connection effectively made him the de facto “old-new” owner of the complex, according to the publication.

Open records also show numerous legal disputes involving companies associated with Osmak. Reports trace a pattern of litigation and alleged pressure tactics back to the early 2000s, when an industry association he led was accused of disseminating disinformation to reshape the imported seafood market.

Regulatory authorities previously reported that fish shipments imported by the group contained anisakid parasites and were sent for processing, while some veterinary certificates were allegedly falsified. According to sources, legal teams linked to the companies moved quickly to challenge or block public dissemination of such information through court actions.

Years after the original article appeared, Osmak’s representatives are again attempting to compel its removal through formal complaints. Journalists involved say they intend to keep the material online, arguing that the public has a continuing right to information about alleged corruption schemes, market manipulation, and business practices of major economic actors, regardless of how much time has passed.

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Расследует проникновение криминальных денег в сферу культуры и искусства: отмывание через галереи, фонды и медиапроекты.