Ukraine accuses Russia of stealing grain during invasion, threatening global food security

Ukraine has accused Russia of stealing grain from territory it has occupied, an act it said increases the threat to global food security posed by disruptions to spring planting and the blockade of ports during the war.

When asked about the accusations, the Kremlin said it had no information about it.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a written statement that it “strongly condemns the criminal actions of the Russian Federation in the so-called expropriation of farmers’ crops in the Kherson region” in southern Ukraine.

He did not elaborate on the alleged grain theft in Kherson, whose main city has been occupied by Russian forces since the first days of the Russian invasion on February 24.

“The looting of grain from the Kherson region, as well as the blockade of shipments from Ukrainian ports and the mining of sea routes, threaten the world’s food security,” he said.

“We demand that Russia stop illegal grain theft, unblock Ukrainian ports, restore freedom of navigation and allow merchant ships to pass.”

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office said in a separate statement that it had opened a criminal case over allegations that Russian soldiers, threatening violence, had seized 61 tons of wheat from an agricultural enterprise in the Zaporizhia region on April 26. southern Ukraine.

Reuters could not immediately verify this claim.

Asked by Reuters if the Kremlin had any information about the Ukraine allegations, spokesman Dmitry Peskov said via the Telegram messaging app: “No. We don’t know where this information comes from.”

According to data from the International Grains Council, Ukraine was the world’s fourth largest exporter of grain in the 2020-2021 season, selling 44.7 million tons abroad. The volume of exports has fallen sharply since the Russian invasion.

“With its illegal actions, Russia is robbing not only Ukraine, but also consumers abroad,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stated.

“The United Nations estimates that around 1.7 billion people may face poverty and hunger due to disruptions to food shipments as a result of a large-scale war waged by Russia against Ukraine.”