The Russians have illegally removed up to 50 million tons of crops from Ukraine’s occupied territories
During the full-scale war, Russian occupiers may have illegally removed up to 50 million tons of agricultural crops from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
This was reported by Taras Vysotsky, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture of Ukraine.
According to him, wheat and sunflower crops were the main targets of the looting.
The estimates announced by the ministry are based on detailed satellite data and analytical reports from international partners. In particular, monitoring was carried out by specialists from NASA Harvest and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO-EBRD).
The information gathered allows for a clear assessment of the scale of agricultural production in the occupied territories.
The Deputy Minister cited specific figures regarding the losses suffered by the Ukrainian sector in recent years.
“In the temporarily occupied territories, approximately 30 million tons of grain and oilseed crops were harvested during the first three years of the war. That is, taking the current season into account, up to 50 million tons of agricultural crops may have been stolen,” stated Taras Vysotsky.
The relevant ministry has calculated that an average of 8 to 10 million tons of grain is harvested annually on the lands seized by the enemy.
Due to the destruction of irrigation systems and a complete lack of long-term investment, current yields there have dropped significantly. Despite this, the total volume of production remains enormous.
Ukrainian authorities are meticulously documenting every instance of theft for future international courts and the recovery of reparations.
“For us, this is not just agricultural statistics. It is part of the evidence base for the large-scale and systematic misappropriation of Ukrainian resources,” the official emphasized.
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