The Russian Federation sold $6 billion worth of grain from the occupied territories of Ukraine

From the occupied territories of Ukraine, the Russian Federation sold grain worth billions of dollars, in particular, it paid Iran for the supply of ballistic missiles.

The Russian Federation exported the first batches of grain stolen from Ukraine in the summer of 2022, and later organized a mass export of grain.

According to the WSJ, the occupiers are either taking crops from farmers or buying them at low prices. State companies are involved in the business, in particular the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), a firm related to the Iranian IRGC, the Agro_Fregat enterprise of the Crimean businessman M. Ganaga, which trades with Syria, and others.

It is difficult to estimate the volume of trade, which is conducted mainly on the black market. According to the Ministry of Agrarian Policy of Ukraine, at least 4 million tons of grain and other products worth $800 million were exported directly to international markets by sea from the occupied territories. The main shipping ports are Sevastopol, Berdyansk and Mariupol.

In the first half of 2024, the Russian Federation sent 15 ships with 81,000 tons of wheat from Mariupol to Turkey. At the same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey stated that the reception of ships with products from the occupied territories of Ukraine is prohibited, and the country's authorities cooperate with Kyiv in the fight against illegal trade.

According to the US government, the three vessels that illegally exported Ukrainian grain are indirectly owned by the USK company. But large batches are sent by small ships or by land to the Russian Federation, from where it goes to world markets. The publication "Texts" estimates the total cost of grain exported by the Russian Federation from the occupied territories of Ukraine at $6.4 billion.

Iran reports that the latest deliveries of ballistic missiles to the Russian Federation were made in exchange for grain. Tehran buys barley from the Russian Federation at a price of $140/t, which is 34% lower than the market price, SeaKrime analysts report.

In addition, Bellingcat analysts discovered the flights of several ships departing from Sevastopol to Iran and Syria, as well as visits to Iran by I. Rudetskyi, the general director of Sea Maker Marine Engineering Technopolis, who is associated with the Aval company that carries out operations at the "Avlita" grain terminal.

According to Ukrinform, on July 11, the SBU detained a foreign cargo ship with a captain who was helping the occupiers to export Ukrainian grain from Crimea in the waters of Odesa region.