Ukraine Urges EU to Impose Sanctions on Illegally Acquired Grain Imports

A recent publication by Reuters highlights Ukraine’s intention to urge the European Union to impose sanctions on Bangladeshi companies allegedly importing wheat sourced from Ukrainian territories currently under Russian control. This move comes after Ukraine’s attempts to communicate with Dhaka regarding this issue have not yielded any results,according to a senior Ukrainian diplomat based in South asia.

Since 2014, Russian forces have occupied significant portions of ukraine’s agricultural heartland, leading Kyiv to accuse Moscow of grain theft long before the full-scale invasion in 2022.However, Russian officials maintain that these regions are now part of Russia and thus no theft is occurring.

The Ukrainian Embassy in New Delhi has reportedly sent multiple letters this year to Bangladesh’s foreign ministry,urging them not to accept over 150,000 tonnes of grain believed to be illegally exported from the Russian port of Kavkaz.When asked about these diplomatic communications, Oleksandr Polishchuk, Ukraine’s ambassador in India, expressed frustration at Dhaka’s lack of response and indicated that they would escalate their efforts due to intelligence suggesting that entities within Russia are blending grain from occupied areas with legitimate Russian wheat for export.

“This is a serious violation,” Polishchuk remarked during an interview at the embassy.“We plan on sharing our findings with our EU partners and will request appropriate actions.” This ongoing diplomatic conflict between Ukraine and Bangladesh has not been widely reported until now.

While both the Bangladeshi and Russian foreign ministries declined comment on this matter, a representative from Bangladesh’s food ministry stated that imports originating from occupied territories are prohibited and emphasized that no stolen wheat enters their market.

Despite ongoing hostilities with Russia impacting various sectors within Ukraine, agriculture remains vital for its economy as it continues exporting grains and oils globally. In April alone, Ukrainian authorities detained a foreign vessel suspected of participating in illegal grain trade activities; similar incidents occurred last year involving cargo ships linked to such operations.

The EU has already sanctioned numerous vessels associated with what it describes as Russia’s shadow fleet—ships used by Moscow for circumventing Western restrictions related to oil and arms transport among othre goods. Meanwhile, Russia claims these sanctions violate international law.According to an official source from Ukraine who spoke anonymously about internal regulations prohibiting trade between local producers—including those in occupied regions—and any Russian entities involved in such transactions: “Our laws make it clear; there should be no voluntary exchanges.”

The embassy has sent four detailed letters outlining specific vessels implicated in transporting grain from Crimea—under occupation as 2014—to Kavkaz between late 2024 through mid-2025. One letter warned Bangladesh could face severe repercussions if they continued accepting shipments labeled as “stolen,” asserting such actions contribute significantly towards humanitarian crises.

Anitta Hipper—a spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs—confirmed there were currently no restrictions placed on the mentioned vessels but noted that future measures could arise if evidence links them directly back into shipping stolen Ukrainian products.

Interestingly enough though—the territories controlled by Russia (excluding Crimea) accounted for only around three percent of its total grain harvest last year according estimates derived from official data sources. Notably too—Bangladesh emerged as one of the largest importers during May amidst rising tensions surrounding global food security issues stemming largely out conflicts like these ones unfolding across Eastern Europe today!

Ambassador Polishchuk reiterated concerns regarding how effectively mixed grains can obscure origins when loaded onto ships destined for export markets: “Tracking where exactly each batch comes from becomes nearly impossible.” A trader familiar with operations echoed this sentiment stating simply: “These aren’t precious metals; you can’t easily identify what goes into each shipment.”