Russia Has Stolen $600 Million-worth Of Grain, Oil Crops From Ukraine: Expert

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Russia stole grains and olive crops from the occupied regions of Kherson and Zaporizhia: Expert
He said some granaries located in occupied territories are currently inaccessible to Ukrainians
He added that the blockade at the Black Sea is causing the rising cost of grain products worldwide

An expert has claimed that Russia has stolen more than $600 million worth of grain and other crops from Ukraine amid the war.

Roman Neyter, a researcher at the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE) Center for Food and Land Use, accused the Russian army of stealing at least $613 million worth of grain and olive crops in the Ukrainian territories they are occupying. He also added that some granaries — storehouses for threshed grain — are located in occupied regions and cannot be accessed by Ukrainians.

“We have more and more evidence that the Russian Federation is stealing our grain from the paid off regions of Ukraine: from the Kherson region, from the Zaporizhia region. The estimated value of the stolen grain and olive crops is over 600 million US dollars,” Neyter wrote in an article published on the website of Kyiv School of Economics.

The researcher added that prices of wheat, barley, corn and vegetable oil have fallen significantly in the domestic Ukrainian market, with weighted average prices for these items decreasing by 33.7% as of May compared to prices before the war began in February. However, grain prices around the world have seen a rapid increase. Neyter cited the reported Russian blockade of Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports as the reason for falling prices in the country and the rising cost of grain products in the world market.

Ukraine is one of the major global producers of corn and sunflower oil, as well as one of the largest suppliers of wheat. In 2021, Ukraine accounted for 10% of global wheat exports, according to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Neyter’s remarks come as representatives of Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations on Wednesday reached an agreement to form a coordination center that would oversee the safe export of Ukrainian grain to international markets via sea routes. Additionally, all parties have also agreed on joint controls for checking shipments in harbors. The deal would be signed by all parties next week.

"We have seen a critical step forward," U.N. chief Antonio Guterres said of the agreement. "More technical work will now be needed to materialize today's progress. But the momentum is clear."