July 02, 2022

Stealing Grains


Stealing Grains
Hands off Ukraine's grain! Pexels, Pixabay.

On June 25, Taras Vysotsky, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food for Ukraine, reported that approximately 400,000 tons of Ukrainian grain have been stolen by Russian forces.

The grain is being illegally exported from territories occupied by Russian forces – Zaporizhzia, Kherson, Luhansk, and Donetsk – to Russia-held Crimea, according to reports by Ukrainian farmers, and GPS tracking.

Ukraine’s agriculture has suffered immensely since the start of the Russian invasion, and grain shortages are one of the main economic reasons. And, as is being reported widely in international media, since Ukraine was one of the world's top exporters of grain, so disruptions to this supply chain is expected to lead to global shortages.

At the beginning of the invasion, Ukraine held over a million tons of grain in storage, meaning that nearly half that amount has been stolen. Overall, the Kyiv School of Economics estimates total agricultural losses for Ukraine to be approximately R229.2 billion ($4.3 billion).

This is also not the first instance of Russian troops stealing food from local farmers.

You Might Also Like

Automotive Industry Out of Gear
  • June 26, 2022

Automotive Industry Out of Gear

Russian imports of Chinese cars have steadily fallen since the invasion of Ukraine began, revealing a stalling industry.
Forbidden Fruit
  • June 27, 2022

Forbidden Fruit

Russian combatants occupying Melitopol, Ukraine, have fallen ill after eating poisoned cherries.
Of Grain and Ukraine
  • June 10, 2022

Of Grain and Ukraine

The chairman of the African Union has announced a trip to Kyiv to discuss the world food crisis caused by the invasion.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

Maria's War: A Soldier's Autobiography

This astonishingly gripping autobiography by the founder of the Russian Women’s Death Battallion in World War I is an eye-opening documentary of life before, during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.
White Magic

White Magic

The thirteen tales in this volume – all written by Russian émigrés, writers who fled their native country in the early twentieth century – contain a fair dose of magic and mysticism, of terror and the supernatural. There are Petersburg revenants, grief-stricken avengers, Lithuanian vampires, flying skeletons, murders and duels, and even a ghostly Edgar Allen Poe.
The Moscow Eccentric

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.
Okudzhava Bilingual

Okudzhava Bilingual

Poems, songs and autobiographical sketches by Bulat Okudzhava, the king of the Russian bards. 
Driving Down Russia's Spine

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 
Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

Steppe / Степь (bilingual)

This is the work that made Chekhov, launching his career as a writer and playwright of national and international renown. Retranslated and updated, this new bilingual edition is a super way to improve your Russian.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955