Cyprus-headquartered group halts Ukrainian processing operations after Russian attack

Nicosia-headquartered agro-industrial group Astarta Holding Plc has suspended operations at its soybean processing plant in Ukraine after the facility was damaged in an aerial weapons attack on November 8, the company said in a disclosure published through the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) on Tuesday. The company, which operates as a vertically integrated agricultural and food producer in central and western Ukraine, said the attack had caused damage to its soybean processing facility, forcing operations to be halted. There were no casualties among employees, according to the company’s announcement. “Following the attack, the plant’s operations were suspended,” the company said in its disclosure. Astarta added that it would assess the extent of the damage and the resulting financial losses once the inspection by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service had been completed. The company did not provide an estimate of the damage or indicate when the facility might resume operations. The incident affects an important part of Astarta’s agricultural processing operations, with its dedicated crushing plant primarily processing home-grown soybeans into soybean meal and oil. Astarta is a vertically integrated agro-industrial group whose activities span crop cultivation, sugar production, soybean processing, dairy farming and grain storage. Its agricultural operations include the cultivation of wheat, corn, sunflower, soybeans and rapeseed, alongside sugar beet, which is processed into sugar at the group’s own sugar factories. The group also operates dairy cattle farms, producing and selling raw milk, while its network of elevators and storage facilities supports the handling and storage of grain. Its products, including grains, sugar and soybean derivatives, are sold both in Ukraine and on international export markets. The soybean processing facility therefore forms part of an integrated production chain, linking the group’s agricultural activities with the manufacture of higher-value food and agricultural products. Astarta Holding Plc is registered in Nicosia, Cyprus, where the holding company serves as the group’s corporate and ownership structure. The holding entity previously operated from the Netherlands before redomiciling to Cyprus. The Cypriot company owns the group’s operating subsidiaries in Ukraine, oversees investor relations and provides the legal corporate structure through which international investors participate in the business. Astarta is listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, under the ticker symbol AST, through its Cyprus-registered holding company. The latest disclosure was published through the CSE’s foreign-market announcements section, reflecting the company’s registration in Cyprus and its international corporate structure. The attack comes amid the continuing disruption to Ukraine’s agricultural and industrial infrastructure caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion, with damage to processing facilities potentially affecting production capacity, supply chains and export activity.