Russia Sells Millions of Tons of Stolen Ukrainian Grain

A new report from Ukrainian intelligence reveals that Russia exported approximately 2 million tons of grain stolen from occupied Ukrainian territories in 2025, selling it on international markets as its own produce [52746][52747].

The operation relied on a deceptive maritime practice known as "ship-to-ship" transfers to conceal the grain's illicit origin. Cargo was moved between vessels at sea near the Russian port of Kavkaz in the Black Sea, allowing shipping documents to be falsified to list Russia as the country of origin [52747].

Once disguised, the grain was sold to major global buyers. Reported destinations include Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, and Vietnam [52747]. This large-scale appropriation represents a significant incident of wartime resource theft, directly profiting from Ukrainian agricultural assets while obscuring their illegal source.

Ukraine is a leading global grain supplier, and its agricultural exports are crucial for world food supplies. The theft and resale of its grain complicate global commodity tracking from conflict zones [52746]. Russia has not commented on the allegations.

The method mirrors tactics used by Russia to evade sanctions in other sectors, such as energy, where ship-to-ship transfers have also been employed to disguise the origin of oil cargoes [14007][16968]. The report underscores the ongoing challenges in enforcing trade restrictions and tracking goods from occupied territories.