Russia stole and destroyed $1.9 billion worth of agricultural products in Ukraine: Report

Russia has stolen an estimated 6 million tons of wheat from occupied territories of Ukraine and has been holding it from the global supply market, research using satellite imagery from NASA’s food security and agriculture program showed on Sunday. Moscow's invading troops allegedly stole or destroyed 4.04 million tons of grain and oilseeds that cost over $1.9 billion from the last season’s harvest as of Oct 17, researcher Roman Neyter was quoted by Bloomberg as saying. This backed the claims of the Swiss Prosecutor General Stefan Blaettler who speculated in July that Russian forces were selling looted raw materials from Ukraine and that this would constitute a war crime during the ongoing conflict. Kremlin, although, rejected such reports. 

“The stored grains, oilseeds, and other agricultural outputs [by Russia] are the categories that are lost because of the physical damage from active hostilities and organized stealing by the invaders,” the research read on Dec 4. 

Russia still considering whether to extend Ukraine grain deal

A Russian diplomat earlier clarified that Kremlin has been dissatisfied with the UN-brokered Ukraine grain deal's implementation, adding that the officials are still considering whether to extend the grain deal or not. This came as the US ambassador to the United Nations reassured Ukrainian farmers that despite the brutal war ensuing on the Ukrainian territory, it was the UN's top priority to extend the wartime deal to facilitate Black Sea shipments of Ukrainian grain and other commodities via the Black Sea. Linda Thomas-Greenfield described Ukraine “as the breadbasket of the world." 

“This (war) really has had an impact on the entire global food market that you are not able to get your grains out,” Thomas-Greenfield emphasized. Both Ukraine and Russia are major global exporters of wheat, barley, sunflower oil, and other products, and the ongoing hostilities have disrupted global supplies and caused looming shortages, especially in the developing nations, prompting fears of a hunger crisis.  Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Andrey Rudenko, meanwhile noted that Kremlin has not yet decided whether to extend its agreement with Turkey and the UN.  “We still have time. We are looking at how this deal is being implemented following the restoration of our participation," Rudenko said. “We are very dissatisfied with how the Russian part is being implemented, where the U.N. has taken responsibility for solving problems.”