Taras Vysotsky, Ukraine’s first deputy minister of agriculture, told Rudaw on Wednesday that Russians constantly attacked Ukraine in the last week, causing damage to up to 100,000 tons of the country’s wheat.
He said that they have “enough capacity” to store the remaining wheat.
The Ukrainian official also said that since Russia’s invasion began in February last year, his country’s agricultural infrastructure has been significantly damaged.
“So far it has been calculated that the great damage is up to $10 billion, if you look at all the losses, including the agricultural commodities and the stolen one,” he noted.
Vysotsky also said that the estimated loss due to inability to grow or export wheat, or what he called “indirect loss” caused by Russia, is more than $70 billion.
A grain deal was signed between Kyiv and Moscow in July last year, allowing for the resumption of Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea for the first time since the start of Russia’s invasion. Russia withdrew from the grain deal last week, sparking concern over a global food crisis and threat to Ukraine’s farming industry.
Russia is the world’s top wheat exporter and Ukraine is known to be the breadbasket of Europe, with the Middle Eastern states heavily relying on Ukrainian agricultural products. Further disruptions to exports threaten global food security.
The deal, mediated by Turkey, allowed for nearly 33 million tons of grain to be exported from Ukrainian ports to the global market, according to AFP.
