Russia is using Ukraine’s farmland to fuel a global black market: Report

[Craig Nigrelli]

SINCE THE RUSSIAN INVASION IN 2022 — A SHADOW WAR HAS UNFOLDED ON UKRAINE’S FARMLANDS — WHERE MOSCOW’S FORCES HAVE COMMANDEERED NEARLY $1 BILLION WORTH OF GRAIN. THIS GRAIN IS CHANNELED INTO A SPRAWLING BLACK MARKET — INCLUDING DEALINGS ACROSS IRAN,SYRIA AND THE UAE, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REVEALED. THIS HAS TRIGGERED INTERNATIONAL RESPONSES, WITH EGYPT, ISRAEL, AND LEBANON ADJUSTING THEIR IMPORTS AFTER DISCOVERING THE GRAIN’S ILLICIT ORIGINS.

IN JULY 2024 — UKRAINIAN AUTHORITIES SEIZED A CAMEROON-FLAGGED VESSEL ON THE DANUBE RIVER CARRYING OVER 3-THOUSAND METRIC TONS OF STOLEN UKRAINIAN GRAIN FROM CRIMEA — A KEY HUB FOR ILLEGAL EXPORTS SINCE RUSSIA ANNEXED IT IN 2014.

UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS SAY THESE ACTIVITIES NOT ONLY FUND RUSSIA’S MILITARY OPERATIONS BUT ALSO DISRUPT GLOBAL FOOD MARKETS. STOLEN GRAIN, OFTEN REROUTED THROUGH RUSSIA TO OBSCURE ITS ORIGINS, COMPLICATES SANCTION ENFORCEMENT AND DRIVES UP GLOBAL FOOD PRICES.

RUSSIA’S ILLICIT GRAIN TRADE HAS BECOME A KEY ECONOMIC FACTOR IN ITS CONFLICT WITH UKRAINE, INVOLVING A VAST NETWORK OF MILITARY MANUFACTURERS AND INTERNATIONAL TRADERS.

THE STATE-RUN UNITED SHIPBUILDING CORPORATION, WHICH MANUFACTURES WARSHIPS USED IN ATTACKS ON UKRAINIAN CITIES, PLAYS A CENTRAL ROLE IN THIS NETWORK, THE JOURNAL SAID. FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THESE ENTITIES BOLSTER RUSSIAN MILITARY EFFORTS SIGNIFICANTLY.

FOR INSTANCE, A COMPANY ONE RUSSIAN-OCCUPIED REGION, KNOWN FOR TRADING GRAIN, DONATED 10 MILLION RUBLES TO A BATTALION INVOLVED IN ACTIVE COMBAT IN UKRAINE, ACCORDING TO THE JOURNAL.

THIS EXTENSIVE SYSTEM MAINTAINS THE LOYALTY OF VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN RUSSIA’S INFLUENCE — BYPASSING THE EFFECTS OF INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS.

AND IN TURN — THE GRAIN — FALSELY REPRESENTED AS PART OF LEGITIMATE BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS — FINANCES MOSCOW’S MILITARY OPERATIONS AND STRENGTHENS ITS GEOPOLITICAL POSITION WITHOUT DRAINING STATE FINANCIAL RESOURCES.

I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI – FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES GO TO THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP

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