WSJ: Russia Massively Steals Grain from Ukraine During the War, Earning Over $1 Billion on the Global Black Market

The aggressor country Russia is profiting from the invasion of Ukraine by selling grain stolen from the occupied territories on the global black market. The WSJ writes about this.

So, in addition to missiles, bombs, and shooting, the Russian occupation army is waging a parallel economic war. And its front line is on the occupied Ukrainian agricultural lands, from which Russia and its partners have stolen, exported and sold more than $1 billion worth of stolen grain on the black market.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, this scheme to sell stolen Ukrainian grain involves a complex network of actors who benefit from cooperation with Russia's criminal authorities. 

Ukraine is one of the world's largest exporters of grain, particularly wheat and corn. Following Russia's invasion in 2022, Ukraine's grain exports have been severely disrupted, raising concerns for global food security. The theft and illegal sale of grain from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories has further complicated the situation, and reports suggest that Russia has made significant profits from this illegal trade.

Since 2022, Russian troops have occupied some of Europe's most fertile farmland in Ukraine, plundering the crops. 

‘It looks like the war is feeding on itself,’ said Pascal Turlan, legal director of Project Expedite Justice, which is assisting Ukrainian prosecutors in investigating grain theft.

The scale of the operation is significant. Markiyan Dmytrasevych, Deputy Minister of Agriculture of Ukraine, said: ‘Since 2022, the operation has directly shipped at least 4 million tonnes of grain and other products from occupied Ukraine to international markets, generating $800 million in revenue.’

Various organisations are involved in the trade in stolen grain, including the Russian shipyard that is equipping the invasion, a company linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard, and businesses trading through the United Arab Emirates and Syria. This network helps to maintain the funding and loyalty of Russia's allies, despite the growing economic pressure on Moscow.

Ukraine is trying to stop these shipments through diplomatic pressure. Georhii Tykhyi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported some success: countries such as Egypt, Israel and Lebanon cancelled or suspended purchases of grain after being informed of its origin from the occupied territories.

However, Russia's allies, such as Iran and Syria, continue to accept these shipments. According to Kateryna Yaresko, SeaKrime analyst, Iran buys barley from Crimea at a 34% discount from market prices.