Russian oligarch Alexander Tkachov's company, Agrocomplex, has seized around 400,000 acres of farmland belonging to three Ukrainian agribusinesses in Ukraine's Russian-occupied territories, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Tkachov, an ally of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, is a former agriculture minister and governor of Russia's Krasnodar Krai.
The Ukrainian authorities are investigating the theft of farmland by Tkachov’s company, according to the newspaper.
“Russia is taking over the economy in occupied territories and using that control to help control the whole area,” Dmytro Skorniakov, CEO of Ukrainian agricultural company HarvEast Holding, said.
HarvEast has lost 100,000 acres in Russian-occupied parts of Donetsk Oblast, while Nibulon, another agribusiness firm, has lost 50,000 acres, and Agroton has accused Agrocomplex of stealing 250,000 acres.
As of Nov. 10, an estimated 2.8 million metric tons of grain and 1.2 million tons of oil seeds with a combined value of $1.87 billion had been destroyed or stolen due to Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to the Kyiv School of Economics.
Research using satellite imagery from NASA’s food security and agriculture program showed that Russia had collected almost 6 million tons of wheat from occupied territories, Bloomberg reported on Dec. 3.
Swiss Prosecutor General Stefan Blaettler said in July that selling looted raw materials could constitute a war crime.
Most Popular
Starlink 'down across the entire front line' in Ukraine as internet service suffers global outage
Romania didn't down Russian drone in its airspace because it circled back to Ukraine, Romanian defense minister says
NATO 'at war' with Russia, Kremlin says, as propaganda blitz after Poland drone attack continues
Putin's clash with Russia's top banker shows increasing disconnect over war economy, experts say
Ukraine's 'revenge operation' in Russian Far East blows up troops accused of war crimes, intelligence source claims
News Feed Show More
Wednesday, September 17
Canada is set to appoint a Special Representative for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced.
"That would be a big mistake on our side, not to find the best way how we can integrate Ukrainian capabilities," Andrius Kubilius, the European Commissioner for Defense Industry and Space, told the Kyiv Independent.
"We discussed the issues of protection for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP), the work of the civil service during the war, security guarantees for Ukraine, and Ukraine's readiness for the peace process," party spokesperson Yuliia Paliichuk told Ukrainska Pravda.
Wednesday, September 17
Under its current plan, the EU aims to phase out energy purchases completely by the end of 2027.
"In my opinion, (the Russians) gave a signal... don't even think about providing Ukraine with additional air defenses. You may need to find a way to get it yourself," Zelensky said in an interview with Sky News.
Political pressure in Poland is mounting amid reports that a home damaged during Russia's drone incursion on Sept. 10 may have been caused by a Polish missile.
The aid will be the first use of the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a mechanism developed by NATO members and the United States to coordinate and fund Kyiv's most urgent battlefield needs.
"The impact of the alleged crimes perpetuated by the Russian government is likely to leave generational scars," Yale researchers said, adding that Russia "aims to foldUkraine's children into the Russian war machine, whether it be through its civilian arm or military wing."
Putin said the maneuvers were aimed at strengthening the defense of the Union State of Russia and Belarus against "any aggression."
The announcement comes days after Belarus freed 52 political prisoners following negotiations with a U.S. delegation.
Transneft, which handles more than 80% of Russia's crude output, has restricted firms' ability to store oil in its pipelines and warned it may have to accept less oil if infrastructure sustains further damage, Reuters reported.
In a recommendation adopted by member states, the Council agreed on a framework to ensure a "sustainable return and reintegration into Ukraine, when conditions allow," as well as a coordinated transition to other residence statuses for those eligible.
The Kyiv Independent’s Oleksiy Sorokin sits down with Andrius Kubilius, the European Commissioner for Defense Industry and Space, to discuss Europe’s readiness to confront Russia, including its ReArm program, and the future of European security.
Editors' Picks
As Russian influence wanes in South Caucasus, Azerbaijan emerges as regional hegemon
How the right wing in US, Europe is weaponizing murders of Ukrainian refugees
Russia’s gains speed up in Ukraine ahead of high-stakes autumn
