Russian occupiers have plundered 180,000 tons of Ukrainian grain via Mariupol port since beginning of 2024 – PM Shmyhal

The Russian invaders looted over 180,000 tons of Ukrainian grain from the temporarily occupied port of Mariupol in the Donetsk region.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Denys Shmyhal, reported that.

"At the same time, Russia continues to use food as an element of aggression. Only through the port of Mariupol this year, the enemy exported more than 180,000 tons of stolen Ukrainian grain," the head of the Ukrainian government said.

Furthermore, as Shmyhal stresses, the looting in temporarily occupied territories serves to fund the aggressive war.

"Undoubtedly, Russian economic terror will be one of the directions in the work of the special tribunal regarding the crime of Russian aggression against Ukraine," he added.

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In late September, the Prosecutor General's Office announced that the losses caused by Russia's seizure of Ukrainian grain were estimated to be over UAH 30 billion. Nevertheless, these figures are not conclusive.

According to the prosecutor's office, Russia is attempting to strip Ukrainians of their livelihoods by stealing grain and, if unsuccessful, destroying it.

The prosecution also filed charges against Volodymyr Saldo, the self-proclaimed leader of the occupied Kherson region, with the court. He stands accused of embezzling nearly 3,000 tons of Ukrainian grain.

In addition, on September 11, Russia hit the merchant ship MV Aya in the Black Sea with a missile, which was transporting 26,550 tons of wheat from a Ukrainian port to Egypt.

On October 7, the Russian military struck another blow at the Ukrainian port of Pivdenny. The Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged civilian vessel PARESA was damaged in the attack.

In the evening of the same day, Russian troops launched a ballistic missile attack on the port facilities in Odesa. The attack resulted in the death of one Ukrainian citizen and injuries to five foreigners. This is a deliberate attempt to intimidate and disrupt the operations of the Ukrainian Maritime Corridor.