russian troops burn crops in Ukraine with incendiary rounds, trying to create global food crisis

Aiming to induce a global food crisis, Russian forces in Ukraine are systematically destroying grain crops, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Oleg Nikolenko said in a Twitter post.

Nikolenko posted a photo of a fire consuming a vast grain field in south-eastern Ukraine.

"Russia's troops set fire to grain fields in Ukraine's fertile Zaporizhzhya region," said Nikolenko.

"Remember this picture every time Russians say they care about global food security. Millions of people across the world will face hunger – because Russia launched a brutal war against Ukraine."

The report was corroborated by Ihor Lutsenko – who took the photo – in a Facebook post.

"A special round flies through the air," Lutsenko said.

"With a distinct noise, as if fluttering its metal wings, before exploding mid-air, releasing several burning pieces, which slowly descend, on fire. They then set the field ablaze. After several weeks of hot weather, the wheat is dry as matches… The resulting flames rise up to five meters into the air, stretching across several hundred meters wide."

UN data suggests that 25 million tons of grain are stuck in Ukrainian silos and ports, jeopardizing food security in Asia and Africa.