"Russian Trucks Divert Ukrainian Grain"... Reports of Grain Theft Amid Food Shortages

Estimated 700,000t Looted, Food Shortage Worsens in Russian-Occupied Areas
Global Food Prices Surge and Famine Threat Looms

The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] A senior UN official stated that evidence is increasing that Russian troops have been looting Ukrainian grain and destroying grain storage facilities.

According to the New York Times on the 7th (local time), Josef Schmidhuber, FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) market and trade officer, said, "Russian troops stole grain and agricultural equipment and transported them by truck to Russia." He estimated that the Russian military looted about 700,000 tons of grain.

However, he explained that these figures are not based on solid evidence but on social media reports and unverified information, and there are also unconfirmed reports that Russian troops destroyed grain storage facilities.

Schmidhuber said, "I think the videos are quite credible," adding, "There is considerable evidence that grain is being diverted onto trucks."

This UN assessment aligns with reports from Ukrainian authorities that the Russian military's grain theft is causing serious consequences.

Meanwhile, on the 28th (local time), the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Russia is stealing grain from occupied territories, and such actions could exacerbate the global grain crisis.

Mykola Solskyi, Ukraine's Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, reported that grain theft has increased over the past two weeks. Minister Solskyi said, "I have heard from many grain storage owners in Russian-occupied areas about (Russian troops looting grain)," pointing out, "This is undeniable robbery occurring in all Russian-occupied regions."

However, Russia denies these allegations and announced that it does not know the sources of the information.

Taras Vysotskyi, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, stated this week that about 100,000 tons of grain were exported from each of the four major Russian-occupied regions: Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson.

He said, "Ukrainians in these regions may face food shortages. There is also a threat of famine."

The invasion has disrupted food exports, causing global food prices to soar, which is especially devastating for poor countries.

Ukraine is one of the world's largest food producers, stockpiling about 14 million tons of exportable food, but exports have been blocked due to Russia's blockade of the Black Sea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.