Grodno Azot

Industry| Chemical
Founded| 1965
Headquarters| 100 Kosmonavtov Avenue, Grodno, Belarus

Key people

| Igor Lyashenko (CEO)[1]
Products| Nitrogen, ammonia, methanol, fertilisers, cleaning, washing, and protective agents
Website| www.azot.by

Grodno Azot (Belarusian «Гро́дна Азо́т») is an open joint-stock company, Belarusian state-run producer of nitrogen compounds and fertilizers located in Grodno, Belarus.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Sanctions
* 3 See also
* 4 References
* 5 Bibliography

## History

The construction of temporary auxiliary facilities started in October 1960. In January 1965, the first lines of Ammiak-1 and Karbamid-1 workshops were put in operation. In October 1970, Grodno Nitrogen and Fertiliser Plant was transformed into Grodno Chemicals Plant named after Siarhei Prytytski. In May 1975, it was transformed into Grodno Production Association Azot named after Siarhei Prytytski.

In August 2000, the association was changed into a unitary enterprise and in 2002 it became OJSC Grodno Azot. [2]

Grodno Azot and Khimvolokno are the main supplier of polyamide technical thread from the EAEU to Russia, where it is used for the production of body armor.[3]

## Sanctions

In 2006, the United States imposed sanctions against nine Belarusian companies including Grodno Azot and its affiliate[4] Grodno Khimvolokno for "undermining the democratic process”. In October 2015, the sanctions were partially lifted.[5]

After the falsified Belarusian Presidential elections on August 9, 2020, Grodno Azot workers joined the opposition protests and national strike; however, many were detained and beaten by the police on multiple occasions.[6][7]

In 2021, the United States reported that the sanctions against Grodno Azot can be renewed.[8] On 30 March 2021, Grodno Azot's subsidiary announced a tender for the shipment of its goods. One of the terms of the tender was the possibility of not marking the affiliation of the cargo with the Grodno Azot. It was caused by the threat of sanctions, according to the tender documentation and media.[9]

In April 2021, full-scale US sanctions against Grodno Azot and Grodno Khimvolokno were renewed.[10][11][12] On 9 August 2021, the US has added Grodno Azot CEO Igor Lyashenko to the SDN list.[13]

In September 2021, several Grodno Azot workers were detained.[14] New arrests were associated with the threat of Alexander Lukashenko that workers who reveal the ways of bypassing the sanctions would be put in jail for a long time.[14]

In December 2021, European Union sanctioned Grodno Azot and Grodno Khimvolokno.[15] Switzerland joined the EU sanctions on December 20.[16]

In 2022, Japan[17][18] and Ukraine[19] joined the sanctions against Grodno Azot.

In 2023, several sanctions circumvention schemes involving companies registered in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Serbia and Lithuania were identified as a result of journalistic investigations by the Belarusian Investigative Center and Siena.[20][21][22][23][24] In October 2024, it was reported that Grodno Azot products were being supplied to Ukraine under the guise of being produced in Turkmenistan through a company registered in the United Arab Emirates.[25] In the summer of 2025, two more investigations were published on the circumvention of sanctions against Grodno Azot using companies registered in Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Poland and the UAE.[26][27]

On February 21, 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg rejected the claim of Grodno Azot and its subsidiary Khimvolokno, which had demanded the lifting of the European sanctions.[28]

## See also

* Economy of Belarus
* Belneftekhim

## References

1. ↑ The new General Director of JSC "Grodno Azot", Igor Lyashenko, was introduced to the company’s staff
2. ↑ "История предприятия ОАО "Гродно Азот"". http://www.azot.by/about/history.html.
3. ↑ "«Гродно Азот» дает российской армии сырье, европейские фирмы помогают обойти санкции – БРЦ" (in ru). https://ru.belsat.eu/90714828/grodno-azot-vojna-sankcii.
4. ↑ "Кто попал в пятый пакет санкций ЕС: полный список". https://officelife.media/news/29467-pyatyy-paket-sanktsiy-es-protiv-belarusi-soglasovan-/part6/.
5. ↑ "Санкции против Белоруссии". РИА Новости. 15 February 2016. https://ria.ru/20160215/1374712143.html.
6. ↑ ""Рабы, все равно будете на нас работать». Как бастуют и разгоняют протесты на «Гродно Азоте"" (in ru). BBC News Russian. 2020-10-30. https://www.bbc.com/russian/media-54752359.
7. ↑ "Протесты в Беларуси: в Гродно ОМОН применил слезоточивый газ против демонстрантов" (in ru). https://www.unn.com.ua/ru/news/1887902-protesti-u-bilorusi-u-grodno-omon-zastosuvav-slozoginniy-gaz-proti-demonstrantiv.
8. ↑ США хотят возобновить санкции 2015 года против Беларуси. В списке есть «Гродно Азот» и «Гродно Химволокно»
9. ↑ "«Гродно Азот» применяет мошеннические схемы, чтобы уйти от санкций". https://charter97.org/ru/news/2021/4/3/417276/.
10. ↑ "Economic expert explains how U.S. sanctions may affect Belarusian state-owned enterprises". Belsat. April 21, 2021. https://belsat.eu/en/news/21-04-2021-economic-expert-explains-how-u-s-sanctions-may-affect-belarusian-state-owned-enterprises/.
11. ↑ "Issuance of Belarus General License 2H". United States Department of the Treasury. April 19, 2021. https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/recent-actions/20210419.
12. ↑ "US reimposes sanctions on Belarus firms after protest clampdown". France 24. April 19, 2021. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20210419-us-reimposes-sanctions-on-belarus-firms-after-protest-clampdown.
13. ↑ "Treasury Holds the Belarusian Regime to Account on Anniversary of Fraudulent Election" (in en). United States Department of the Treasury. 9 August 2021. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210809161340/https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy0315. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "В Беларуси задерживают рабочих, которые заявляли о забастовках на своих предприятиях – "Вясна"" (in ru). Current Time TV. September 23, 2021. https://www.currenttime.tv/a/belarus-zaderzhivayut-rabochie-zabastovka-vyasna/31474407.html.
15. ↑ "EU, UK, US, Canada issue coordinated sanctions against Belarus regime". 2 December 2021. https://www.dw.com/en/eu-uk-us-canada-issue-coordinated-sanctions-against-belarus-regime/a-60000656.
16. ↑ "Searching for subjects of sanctions". State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. https://www.seco.admin.ch/seco/en/home/Aussenwirtschaftspolitik_Wirtschaftliche_Zusammenarbeit/Wirtschaftsbeziehungen/exportkontrollen-und-sanktionen/sanktionen-embargos/sanktionsmassnahmen/suche_sanktionsadressaten.html.
17. ↑ "Japan introduces further sanctions on Russia and Belarus". 14 March 2022. https://sanctionsnews.bakermckenzie.com/japan-introduces-further-sanctions-on-russia-and-belarus/.
18. ↑ "資産凍結等の措置の対象となるベラルーシ共和国の個人及び団体" (in ja). https://www.mof.go.jp/policy/international_policy/gaitame_kawase/gaitame/economic_sanctions/ukraine_list_belarus_20220311.pdf.
19. ↑ "Grodno Azot OJSC". National Agency for Prevention of Corruption. https://sanctions.nazk.gov.ua/en/sanction-company/185/.
20. ↑ "Расследование. «Кошельки» Лукашенко поставляют удобрения в Европу в обход санкций". 20 February 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYUc8LEHXvQ.
21. ↑ "Naša Trąša. Reloaded. Žurnalistinis tyrimas". 20 February 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiEXmvExh3M.
22. ↑ "Tiriant galimą trąšų kontrabandą apeinant sankcijas muitinė sulaikė 15 vagonų su kroviniu" (in lt). 15min. February 25, 2023. https://www.15min.lt/naujiena/aktualu/lietuva/tiriant-galima-trasu-kontrabanda-apeinant-sankcijas-muitine-sulaike-15-vagonu-su-kroviniu-56-2014372.
23. ↑ "БРЦ: «Гродно Азот» обходит санкции, экспортируя удобрения в ЕС через Узбекистан и фирмы-прокладки" (in ru). OCCRP. 2023-10-02. https://www.occrp.org/ru/daily/18084-2023-10-02-10-17-28.
24. ↑ "Литовский бизнесмен признался в контрабанде удобрений от «Гродно Азот»" (in ru). 2023-03-06. Archived from the original on 2023-04-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20230414200540/https://newgrodno.by/business/litovskij-biznesmen-priznalsya-v-kontrabande-udobrenij-ot-grodno-azot/.
25. ↑ "RFE/RL Reveals Belarusian Fertilizer Entering Ukraine, Despite Sanctions". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. October 10, 2024. https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-fertilizers-illegal-operation-ukraine-sanctions-hrodna-azot/33153709.html.
26. ↑ "Подсанкционная белорусская компания поставила в ЕС через «кошельки» Лукашенко удобрения на $59 млн — расследование". The Insider. 2025-06-23. https://theins.ru/news/282401.
27. ↑ "БРЦ: Друзья Лукашенко зарабатывают на обходе санкций за счет «Гродно Азота»". Reform.news (ru). 2025-07-15. https://reform.news/brc-druzja-lukashenko-zarabatyvajut-na-obhode-sankcij-za-schet-grodno-azota.
28. ↑ "Case T-117/22: Judgment of the General Court of 21 February 2024 — Grodno Azot and Khimvolokno Plant v Council". Publications Office of the European Union. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/2b3c7c30-f57f-11ee-8e14-01aa75ed71a1/language-en.

## Bibliography

* Официальный сайт
* Гродненское производственное объединение «Азот» им. С. О. Притыцкого
* Завершено объединение «Гродно Азота» и «Гродно Химволокно»
* Belarus: Amid vicious crackdown on peaceful protesters, authorities arrest workers planning strike

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