Two Russian carriers have been spotted loading grain into Ukraine as global food supplies have been threatened by Moscow’s invasion.
Fresh satellite images from May 19 and 21 show two bulk carriers under the Russian flag – Matros Pozynich and Matros Koshka – moored in the port of Sevastopol, Crimea, and loaded on grain silos off the platform.
There are growing concerns that the war could cause major problems for world food supplies. Last week, the UN warned of a global crisis, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres saying food insecurity was growing in poorer countries around the world due to higher prices due to the war.
The risk of starvation has also increased. The conflict has cut off ports in Ukraine, which once exported huge quantities of oil, as well as cereals such as corn and wheat. Ukraine and Russia produce about 30% of the world’s wheat supplies.
Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky claims that Russian soldiers are “gradually stealing” several hundred thousand tons of grain and trying to sell it.
“New satellite images from Maxar Technologies show stolen Ukrainian grain being loaded on Russian ships in Crimea. There are two ships under the flag of Russia, moored and loaded with stolen Ukrainian grain in the port of the temporarily occupied Sevastopol, “said the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security of the Ukrainian Ministry.
The ships have already left port with the first voyage to Beirut via the Aegean, while Matros Koshka is still visible in the Black Sea, the ship tracking website MarineTraffic.com showed.
It is not immediately clear whether the ships are transporting grain stolen from Ukraine, but the annexed territory of Crimea does not boast large grain production, unlike other parts of northern Ukraine such as Kherson and Zaporizhia.
Authorities and industry sources familiar with the matter said Russian forces in the controlled territories had emptied several grain silos and sent it to the southern region, the report added.
President Zelenski called on the international community to help the besieged country unblock its seaports.
“The world community must help Ukraine unblock seaports, otherwise the energy crisis will be followed by a food crisis and many more countries will face it,” the Ukrainian president said on Saturday.
He added that Russia has “blocked almost all ports and all, so to speak, maritime food export opportunities – our grain, barley, sunflower and others, among many things.”
Russia’s naval operations have snatched control and access to the northwestern Black Sea and the Sea of Azov since it invaded Ukraine on February 24th, bringing trade and shipping in the region to a halt.
Experts have warned that wheat production is now expected to be halved this year. U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who accused Moscow of arming food and holding grain for millions of people as hostages in the invasion of Ukraine, said there were approximately 22 million tons of grain in Ukrainian silos.
However, Moscow has denied allegations of grain theft.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had previously called reports of grain theft from Russia “fake news”, Russia’s state news agency TASS reported.
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