Kyiv accuses Moscow of stealing grain from territories it has seized since launching a “special military operation”, as Russia calls the invasion of its neighboring country in February
Authorities in one of the Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine are plotting to circumvent Western sanctions and sell grain to North America and other parts of the world, according to Reuters, citing Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency.
Kyiv accuses Moscow of stealing grain from the territories it has occupied since the start of the “special military operation”, as Russia calls the invasion of its neighboring country in February. The war threatens to cause severe food shortages internationally, as Russia and Ukraine account for about 29% of world grain exports.
Vladimir Rogov, a member of the local administration in Zaporizhia, reportedly told Russian television that grain was also being sold in the Middle East and Africa. “They are afraid of sanctions, but they are happy to buy our grain – of course, through intermediate and cunning plans,” Rogoff was quoted as saying by RIA Novosti.
Rogoff estimated that there were 1,500,000 tonnes of grain in the area, but did not specify whether any shipments had been delivered to buyers.
Last week, the Ukrainian embassy in Beirut complained that Russia had sent 100,000 tonnes of stolen grain to Syria (a Kremlin ally), calling the missions “criminal activities.”
To date, no agreement has been reached between Kiev and Moscow on grain exports from Ukrainian ports. The Russian military has occupied parts of Ukraine off the coast, blocking agricultural exports and boosting grain prices. For its part, Moscow blames the food crisis on Western sanctions and is restricting its own grain exports.
