Ukraine: "Russia smuggling seized grain to the Middle East"... Worsening global food crisis

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Ukrainian government has pointed out that Russia has looted more than 500,000 tons of grain from occupied territories, with a significant portion being smuggled to the Middle East. As Russia controls major port cities along the Black Sea coast, concerns are growing that the international food crisis will worsen due to the blockade of grain exports from Odesa, Ukraine's largest port, by Russian forces.

According to CNN on the 10th (local time), the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Agency stated in a press release that "the grain looted by Russia from occupied areas is being loaded onto cargo ships sailing through the Mediterranean," and "these grains are being smuggled to the Middle East, with Syria being the most likely destination." It added, "Russia continues to send the stolen grain from Ukraine to Russian territory and the Crimea Peninsula," explaining that "in the Polohy area of the Zaporizhzhia region, a major grain-producing area, preparations are underway to transport stored grain and sunflower seeds to Russia."

Russian forces are reportedly gathering looted grain from various locations in Crimea, loading it onto cargo ships, and engaging in smuggling trade with Middle Eastern countries. The Ukrainian Defense Intelligence Agency also detected a convoy of trucks loaded with grain moving under Russian military escort from the Enerhodar region to Crimea, and stated that Russian forces looted more than 1,500 tons of grain in the Kharkiv region and transported it from Kherson to Crimea. Earlier, the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense estimated that over 500,000 tons of Ukrainian grain had been looted by Russia since the start of the war.

Meanwhile, as Russian forces continue to blockade the Black Sea and Azov Sea areas and carry out airstrikes, grain exports from Odesa, Ukraine's largest port, have been cut off. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized, "For the first time since World War II, normal commercial shipping and port activities in Odesa are not taking place," adding, "Dozens of countries worldwide are facing a food shortage crisis, and the situation will become more terrible as time passes."

The U.S. government also announced that it is working to secure alternative routes for Ukrainian grain exports. Bridget Brink, the U.S. Ambassador-designate to Ukraine, stated at a U.S. congressional hearing that "Russia's blockade of Black Sea ports makes it a major challenge to move grain out of the ports," and "we are cooperating with international partners to secure alternative routes for Ukrainian grain exports."

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