According to Ukraine’s deputy agricultural minister, Russian forces have stolen “several hundred thousand tonnes” of food from the territories they control in Ukraine.
Taras Vysotskiy, speaking to Ukrainian state television, voiced fear that Russian soldiers could steal the majority of the 1.5 million tonnes of grain held in controlled area.
On Thursday, Ukraine’s foreign ministry accused Russia of taking grain in seized territory, claiming that this raised the threat to world food security. Grain theft has escalated in the last two weeks, according to Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi.
