Ukraine's embassy in Lebanon says that Russia is transporting stolen wheat taken from Ukrainian storage facilities to Syria, and called the shipments of 100,000 tons of stolen wheat 'criminal activity'. Russia is also systematically destroying grain storage facilities and grain export terminals.
Last month the Ukrainian agriculture ministry had reported that 500,000 tons of wheat had been stolen from occupied territories in the country.
Ukrainian investigative organization, the SeaKrime project reported that the Sebastopol harbor had drastically increased commercial activities, with over 102,000 tons of cereal exported in April and 109,800 in May versus the average of 40,000 per month before the war had started.
Iran has reported a 30% surge in wheat purchases as much of the allegedly stolen Ukrainian wheat is ending up there.
The embassy put out a statement saying "The wheat is stolen from a facility that combines wheat from three Ukrainian regions into one batch. This is criminal activity".
In April Russia had denied the claims that there had been any theft of wheat and said that it had no idea where the information had come from.
Photos taken of a major Ukrainian grain export terminal in Mykolaiv show that it has been destroyed, and a Russian missile is reported to have destroyed a facility that works on railway cars that are used to transport grain. Russia however, claims that the facility was an arms repairs depot. A grain terminal in Nika-Tera in Mykolaiv was reported to have been destroyed by a rocket on June 4th.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a statement saying that Russia does not obstruct grain export from Ukraine and said that exporting grain can be done through the Black Sea ports as well as neighboring countries.
Furthermore, Putin said that he will 'guarantee' peaceful passage of ships leaving Ukrainian ports saying, "I have already told all our colleagues many times: let them clear the mines and let the ships loaded with grain leave the ports. We guarantee their peaceful passage into international waters without any problems".
Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy stated, however, "Wars of aggression cannot be permitted. EU sanctions target Russia’s capacity to continue with the war. They do not target wheat. Agriculture products and their transport are explicitly excluded".
"Russia’s ongoing blockade of Ukraine’s ports is preventing the export of tons of grain, like corn and wheat, currently trapped in Ukraine, one of the main world producers. Russia is directly responsible for any shortages in international trade in grains, and instead of ending its aggression, is actively seeking to transfer responsibility to international sanctions. This is disinformation".
In the middle of May the United States had sent out an alert to 14 different countries, a majority of them in Africa warning that cargo vessels from Russia were leaving ports near Ukraine full of what the State Department called "stolen Ukrainian grain".
In the message from the State Department, three Russian cargo vessels were named that were suspected of transporting the stolen grain.
On June 3rd, the head of the African Union, President Macky Sall of Senegal held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to purchase grain from Russia.
The Russian presidential website said of the visit on June 3rd, "Vladimir Putin held talks at the Bocharov Ruchei residence with Chairperson of the African Union, President of Senegal Macky Sall with the participation of Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat".
"Participants in the talks discussed Russia’s interaction with the African Union, including expanding political dialogue, as well as economic and cultural cooperation with African countries".
Hassan Khannenje, director of the Horn International Institute for Strategic Studies in Kenya said that "This is not a dilemma. Africans don't care where they get their food from, and if someone is going to moralize about that, they are mistaken." "The need for food is so severe. that it's not something they need to debate".
Last month the Ukrainian agriculture ministry had reported that 500,000 tons of wheat had been stolen from occupied territories in the country.
Ukrainian investigative organization, the SeaKrime project reported that the Sebastopol harbor had drastically increased commercial activities, with over 102,000 tons of cereal exported in April and 109,800 in May versus the average of 40,000 per month before the war had started.
Iran has reported a 30% surge in wheat purchases as much of the allegedly stolen Ukrainian wheat is ending up there.
The embassy put out a statement saying "The wheat is stolen from a facility that combines wheat from three Ukrainian regions into one batch. This is criminal activity".
In April Russia had denied the claims that there had been any theft of wheat and said that it had no idea where the information had come from.
Photos taken of a major Ukrainian grain export terminal in Mykolaiv show that it has been destroyed, and a Russian missile is reported to have destroyed a facility that works on railway cars that are used to transport grain. Russia however, claims that the facility was an arms repairs depot. A grain terminal in Nika-Tera in Mykolaiv was reported to have been destroyed by a rocket on June 4th.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a statement saying that Russia does not obstruct grain export from Ukraine and said that exporting grain can be done through the Black Sea ports as well as neighboring countries.
Furthermore, Putin said that he will 'guarantee' peaceful passage of ships leaving Ukrainian ports saying, "I have already told all our colleagues many times: let them clear the mines and let the ships loaded with grain leave the ports. We guarantee their peaceful passage into international waters without any problems".
Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy stated, however, "Wars of aggression cannot be permitted. EU sanctions target Russia’s capacity to continue with the war. They do not target wheat. Agriculture products and their transport are explicitly excluded".
"Russia’s ongoing blockade of Ukraine’s ports is preventing the export of tons of grain, like corn and wheat, currently trapped in Ukraine, one of the main world producers. Russia is directly responsible for any shortages in international trade in grains, and instead of ending its aggression, is actively seeking to transfer responsibility to international sanctions. This is disinformation".
In the middle of May the United States had sent out an alert to 14 different countries, a majority of them in Africa warning that cargo vessels from Russia were leaving ports near Ukraine full of what the State Department called "stolen Ukrainian grain".
In the message from the State Department, three Russian cargo vessels were named that were suspected of transporting the stolen grain.
On June 3rd, the head of the African Union, President Macky Sall of Senegal held a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to purchase grain from Russia.
The Russian presidential website said of the visit on June 3rd, "Vladimir Putin held talks at the Bocharov Ruchei residence with Chairperson of the African Union, President of Senegal Macky Sall with the participation of Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat".
"Participants in the talks discussed Russia’s interaction with the African Union, including expanding political dialogue, as well as economic and cultural cooperation with African countries".
Hassan Khannenje, director of the Horn International Institute for Strategic Studies in Kenya said that "This is not a dilemma. Africans don't care where they get their food from, and if someone is going to moralize about that, they are mistaken." "The need for food is so severe. that it's not something they need to debate".
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