A Ukrainian grain tycoon and his wife were killed in a Russian missile strike on Monday morning.
According to the local reports, Oleksiy Vadatursky and his wife Raisa were in their multi-million home in Mykolaiv when the building was struck by a Russian missile.
Both Raisa and Oleksiy, whose net worth was estimated at around $430 million, were killed in the explosion.
Oleksiy was a Ukrainian grain lord who in 1991 founded the Nibulon group, a Ukrainian agricultural business specializing in the production and export of grains including corn, wheat, and barley.
It has also come to light that the 74-year-old businessman previously received the ‘Hero of Ukraine’ award – the highest-ranking award issued by the country.
“[He] did a lot for the Mykolaiv region, a lot for Ukraine. His contribution to the development of the agricultural and shipbuilding industry, the development of the region is invaluable,” Vitaliy Kim, the governor of Mykolaiv Oblast, said in a tribute to Vadatursky.
The news of Vadatursky’s death comes amid the heavy Russian bombing of Mykolaiv, a city that lies near the Black Sea in southern Ukraine and is home to less than half a million people.
Due to its strategic location and its proximity to the number one Ukrainian port in Odesa, Mykolaiv has repeatedly come under attack in recent weeks as Ukrainian troops are preparing for a counter-offensive to reclaim lands occupied by Russia.
As Mykolaiv mayor Oleksandr Senkevych revealed on Telegram, the Russian missile strike on the city caused a tremendous amount of destruction including major damages to two schools, a hotel, a service station, a sports complex, and countless homes.
Our thoughts remain with the Ukrainian people during these challenging times.
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