Two Russian ships spotted loading Ukrainian grain, metal at port in occupied Berdiansk

Two Russian ships were spotted at the Port of Berdiansk on May 31 loading Ukrainian grain and metal, according to the exiled Berdiansk City Administration.

The administration reported shortly after 5 p.m. local time that two Russian ships had entered the Port of Berdiansk.

"The occupiers continue to plunder our lands," the administration said. One ship was reportedly being loaded with Ukrainian grain, and the other with metal.

Berdiansk is located in the southeastern oblast of Zaporizhzhia and has been under Russian occupation since late February 2022.

Ukrainian officials have reported numerous cases of Russian forces stealing Ukrainian grain.

Ivan Fedorov, the exiled mayor of Melitopol, said in late April that Ukrainian farmers in the occupied territories were forced to sell their grain at three times lower than market price. In other instances, Russian occupation forces simply confiscate the grain, Fedorov added.

Ukraine is one of the world's top grain suppliers. At the start of the full-scale invasion, Russia blocked Ukrainian-controlled ports. Although Turkey and the U.N. brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July 2022 to ensure the transit of Ukraine grain, Russia has repeatedly attempted to sabotage the deal, and a looming global food crisis persists.

Agriculture Minister: Russia’s grain corridor sabotage could lead to higher food prices

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Russia’s blockage of Ukrainian seaports triggered a global food crisis. The global food crisis was partially resolved in July when an UN-backed grain deal was reached, forcing Russia to unblock three ports in Odesa Oblast for…

The Kyiv IndependentAnastasiya Gordiychuk