Cards & quotes: Ukraine food theft
And who the hell is Seitumer Nemitulaev
On May 2, 2022, surveillance video appears to show a grain facility near Synelnykove in Dniproprovetsk was hit
Reznichenko, Valentyn, “Dnipropetrovsk region, May 2, 8.02 (Дніпропетровщина2 травня 8.02)” 🇺🇦Valentyn Reznichenko / Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration 🇺🇦Валентин Резніченко/ Дніпропетровська ОДА (ОВА) Telegram channel, May 1, 2022, https://t.me/dnipropetrovskaODA/819
Dnipropetrovsk region
, May 2,
8.02
"We have arrived again" in Synelnykiv district.
The rocket hit the elevator. Destroyed the warehouse with grain.
Previously, no one was injured.
Our agricultural warehouses do not give orcs peace.
# StopRussianAggressionчмла
Дніпропетровщина
2 травня
8.02
У нас знову приліт» у Синельниківському районі.
Ракета влучила в елеватор. Зруйнувала склад з зерном.
Попередньо, постраждалих немає.
Не дають оркам спокою наші сільгоспсклади.
#StopRussianAggressionчмла
As of late March, at least six grain storage facilities have been damaged, indicative of severe impact on global food supply
Holland, Steve and Nichols, Michell, “EXCLUSIVE-Photos show Russian attacks on Ukraine grain storage -U.S. official”, Reuters, March 31, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/exclusive-photos-show-russian-attacks-ukraine-grain-storage-us-official-2022-04-01/
U.S. government images seen by Reuters showed what a U.S. official said was damage to grain storage facilities in eastern Ukraine and was indicative of the severity of Russian attacks that are impacting the global food supply.
The two black-and-white images showed long rectangular buildings in eastern Ukraine, first seen intact in January and then with damaged roofs and what a key calls "impact craters" in March.
The U.S. official, commenting on the unclassified images, said the United States has information that Russian forces are repeatedly damaging grain storage facilities in eastern Ukraine.
"As of late March, at least six grain storage facilities had been damaged as a result of these attacks," the official said.
On May 3, 2022 the head of Luhansk’s regional military administration claimed that Russians bombed a 30,000 ton grain elevator in Rubizhne
Haidai, Serhiy, “📌The goal is the Holodomor. The occupiers bombed an elevator in Rubizhne (📌 Мета - Голодомор. Окупанти розбомбили літаками елеватор у Рубіжному)“, Serhiy Haidai/Luhansk Regional State Administration Telegram channel, May 3, 2022, https://t.me/serhiy_hayday/6261
📍The goal is the Holodomor. The occupiers bombed an elevator in Rubizhne
Sputnik with planes. Pictures from the Planet Lab company show that powerful Russian bombs were dropped on the territory of Golden AGRO LLC in Rubizhne. The elevator complex opened in 2020 was completely destroyed.
📍The company has installed a laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment, including an express analyzer that provides accurate and fast analysis of all crops, a grain dryer with a capacity of 1,500 tons per day, a separator, scales, and an automatic sampler.
The elevator complex could store 30,000 tons of grain at a time.
racists want to arrange the Holodomor. In the occupied cities, cases of export of Our grain to Russia have been recorded. Earlier, they also destroyed all food warehouses in Severodonetsk.
📍Мета - Голодомор. Окупанти розбомбили літаками елеватор у Рубіжному
Супутникові знімки від компанії «Planet Lab» свідчать про те, що на територію ТОВ «Голден АГРО» у Рубіжному були скинуті потужні російські бомби. Відкритий 2020 року елеваторний комплекс повністю знищено.
📍На підприємстві було встановлено лабораторію з найсучаснішим обладнанням, включаючи експрес-аналізатор, який забезпечував точні та швидкі аналізи всіх культур, зерносушарка потужністю 1500 тон на добу, сепаратор, автоваги, автоматичний пробовідбірник.
Елеваторний комплекс міг зберігати 30 тис. тон зерна одночасно.
рашисти хочуть влаштувати Голодомор. В окупованих містах зафіксовані випадки вивозу Нашого зерна в рф. Раніше вони також знищили всі продуктові склади в Сєвєродонецьку.
Firsthand accounts claim that on April 11th Kadyrovite Chechens under the command of S. NEMITULAEV seized a farm in Genichesk district
Agravery staff, “WARTA news: In the Kherson region, the occupiers take over the property of agricultural enterprises and force them to sow in favor of Russia (ВАРті новини: На Херсонщині окупанти забирають у власність агропідприємства і примушують проводити посівну на користь рф)“, agravery.com (Ukrainian farm news site), April 21, 2022, https://agravery.com/uk/posts/show/varti-novini-na-hersonsini-okupanti-zabiraut-u-vlasnist-agropidpriemstva-i-primusuut-provoditi-posivnu-na-korist-rf
The occupiers appropriate the property of farms, take products out of warehouses, and force workers to work. Those who disagree are threatened with physical violence.
Agrarian from Kherson region, member of VAR, Albert Cherepakha is the owner of the enterprises of Agro-Commonwealth LLC and PE "Commonwealth-South", has 20 thousand hectares in cultivation. He reports:
"Groups of armed Chechens, who call themselves Kadyrovites, entered the territory of my economic units in the Genichesk district on April 11-12. We have bases in the villages of Chongar, Chervonoye, Pavlovka, the land bank is 20 thousand hectares. The armed men said that now all the property of the company belongs to them. The heads of the divisions were warned that in case of property losses they would be beheaded. "
According to him, the groups of invaders are under the leadership of separatist S. Nemitulaev.
Currently, employees of the company are forced to work on it for the benefit of the occupiers.
“The invaders began to manage the production processes at the enterprise: they gave a command to the workers to carry out sowing, to prepare an application for the necessary materials. To do this, they began to export and sell products that were stored in warehouses, "- adds the farmer.
Other carriage of the same report from Cherepakha state Nemitulaev’s first name is SEITUMER
Agronews, “It has become known how people in Crimea profit from loot in Ukraine (Стало відомо, як у Криму наживаються на награбованому в Україні)”, AgroNews (Ukrainian farm blog), May 14, 2022
“The occupiers came to my friend's house with weapons. They put a bag on his head and took him away. A few days later, all his crops, which he grew on his farm, were taken away. Potatoes, carrots, cabbage, beets - all taken away. He was brought back. Now he doesn't know if something should be planted this year, because it will still be taken away, ”said a farmer from the Kherson region.
Such cases are not isolated.
Thus, a group of armed Chechens (Kadyrovites) entered the territory of the farms of farmer Albert the Turtle in the Genichesk district and stated that all the agrarian property now belongs to them. And this is 20 thousand hectares of land in the villages of Chongar, Chervone, Pavlivka. And the workers were warned that if something from the enterprises disappeared, their heads would be cut off.
The occupiers are exporting grain
The occupiers are forcing people to sow. And products from warehouses are exported and sold.
The agrarian says that the separatist Seitumer Nemitulaev, the former head of the Genichesk district, who fled to the Crimea in 2014, is behind all this.
Ombudswoman Lyudmila Denisova also stated that the occupiers took grain from the elevators of Novooleksiyivka in the Kherson region and took everything to
Crimea. In addition, Russian terrorists have engaged in racketeering - they demand that farmers give them 70% of the future harvest.
Такі випадки не поодинокі.
Так, група озброєних чеченців (кадировці) увійшли на територію господарств фермера Альберта Черепахи в Генічеському районі і заявили, що вся власність аграрія тепер належить їм. А це 20 тис. га землі у селах Чонгар, Червоне, Павлівка. А працівників попередили, що якщо щось із підприємств зникне, то їм відріжуть голови.
Окупанти змушують людей проводити посівну. А продукцію зі складів вивозять та продають.
Аграрій каже, що за всім цим стоїть сепаратист Сейтумер Немітулаєв, колишній голова Генічеського району, який втік до Криму у 2014 році.
Омбудсменка Людмила Денісова також заявляла про те, що окупанти забрали зерно з елеваторів Новоолексіївки Херсонської області та вивезли все до
Криму. Крім того, російські терористи зайнялися рекетом – вони вимагають у фермерів віддати їм 70% майбутнього врожаю.
Stolen John Deere tractors from Ukraine were taken to Zakan-Yurt Farm near Grozny alleged to be supported by ADAM DELIMKHANOV (sanctioned) through the AKHMAT KADYROV FOUNDATION (sanctioned); residents claim AKHMAT KADYROV FOUNDATION also delivers “humanitarian goods” to occupied areas
Kizilova, Svitlana, “Kadyrov's American combines were stolen in Ukraine (Вкрадені в Україні американські комбайни знайшлися у Кадирова)”, pravda.com.ua (Ukrainian news site), April 19, 2022, https://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2022/04/19/7340733/
Russian occupiers in the Zaporozhye region stole John Deere agricultural machinery. Later, looted property "surfaced" at an agricultural firm linked to Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov.
Source : Valentina Samar, editor of the Center for Investigative Journalism in an article for the Mirror of the Week
Details : One of the most notorious looting crimes took place in Melitopol - from the exhibition site of Agrotek-Invest, the official dealer of John Deere (USA) in Ukraine, the cadres stole three new combines, a tractor, three drills worth 1.5 million euros, as well as 20 tons of branded oils.
The company managed to calculate where the Russians took the stolen equipment. Thanks to the systems installed on the equipment, the specialists established that the equipment is currently located in Chechnya , in the village of Zakan-Yurt near Grozny.
Judging by the address lit by the installed beacons, combines and a tractor drove to the territory of the already liquidated state farm "Zakan-Yurt", which specializes in growing grain.
Zakan-Yurt is part of the Achkhoi-Martan district and is known for being the home village of Chechen Prime Minister Muslim Khuchiyev and his brother Tamerlan Khuchiyev, who heads the district administration.
The latter is also known for being the executive director of the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation (an organization named after Ramzan Kadyrov's father) for 11 years. Many facilities are being built in this village at the expense of the "fund", at the opening of which you can see another iconic character - Adam Delimkhanov, who now leads the Kadyrov occupiers in eastern Ukraine.
People in Melitopol now know about Kadyrov Sr.'s "fund," because it is from him that Russians deliver "humanitarian goods" to residents of occupied settlements in trucks covered with portraits of Akhmat Kadyrov.
Російські окупанти в Запорізькій області вкрали сільськогосподарську техніку John Deere. Пізніше намародерене майно "сплило" на агрофірмі, пов'язаній з главою Чечні Рамзаном Кадировим.
Джерело: редакторка Центру журналістських розслідувань Валентина Самар у матеріалі для Дзеркала тижня
Деталі: Один із найгучніших мародерських злочинів стався у Мелітополі – з виставкового майданчика компанії "Агротек-Інвест", офіційного дилера виробника сільгосптехніки компанії John Deere (США) в Україні, кадировці викрали три нові комбайни, трактор, три сівалки загальною вартістю 1,5 млн євро, а також 20 тонн фірмових мастил.
Компанії вдалося вирахувати, куди росіяни вивезли вкрадену техніку. Завдяки встановленим на техніці системам, фахівці встановили, що наразі техніка знаходиться у Чечні, в селищі Закан-Юрт неподалік Грозного.
Судячи з адреси, що засвітилася завдяки встановленим маячкам, комбайни і трактор пригнали на територію вже ліквідованого "госхоза "Закан-Юрт", спеціалізація якого — вирощування зернових.
Селище Закан-Юрт входить до Ачхой-Мартанівського району і відоме тим, що це рідне село глави уряду Чечні Мусліма Хучієва та його брата Тамєрлана Хучієва, який очолює адміністрацію району.
Останній відомий також тим, що 11 років був виконавчим директором "фонду Ахмата Кадирова" (організація імені батька Рамзана Кадирова). У цьому селі на кошти "фонду" будується багато об’єктів, на відкритті яких можна побачити ще одного знакового персонажа — Адама Дєлімханова, що зараз керує кадировськими окупантами на сході України.
Про "фонд" Кадирова-старшого тепер знають люди в Мелітополі, оскільки саме від нього жителям окупованих населених пунктів росіяни розвозять "гуманітарку" фурами, що обліплені портретами Ахмата Кадирова.
AKHMAT KADYROV FOUNDATION is financed by “voluntary” contributions from Chechens
Fuller, Liz, “Chechnya's Best-Kept Secret: The Workings of the Akhmad Kadyrov Fund”, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, June 6, 2015
Among the damaging allegations against Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov and his entourage contained in The Family, a documentary recently released by former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky's NGO Open Russia, is the claim that all Chechens are required to contribute a percentage of their salary to the Akhmad Kadyrov Regional Public Fund, named after Kadyrov's late father.
Chechen officials have rejected that claim as untrue. But the news portal Caucasian Knot has spoken to Chechen teachers, medical personnel, and police officers who confirm that a percentage of their monthly salary is routinely deducted.
The Russian Kommersant daily has also researched links between the Akhmad Kadyrov fund and various commercial entities owned by Ramzan Kadyrov's mother, Aymani, or his trusted associates.
According to The Family, budget-sector employees in Chechnya are required to forfeit at least 10 percent of their monthly salary, employees of private companies up to one-third, and business owners up to 50 percent of their profits to the fund.
The total sum contributed in this way, which is not taxed or audited, is estimated at between 3 billion and 4 billion rubles ($55 million-$73 million) per month. By contrast, Chechnya's official budget revenues for 2015 are declared to be more than 57 billion rubles, including over 20 billion rubles in subsidies from the federal government.
In addition to the routine deductions, employees are reportedly required to make additional "donations" occasionally.
One schoolteacher said that last year all teaching personnel were required to contribute 500 rubles toward the cost of buying a new player for the Terek soccer team.
Another teacher said she and her colleagues are regularly pressured to buy tickets for various high-profile events and, as of 2014, to pay 250 rubles per quarter to subscribe to various official newspapers, which they do not always receive. Complaints or any refusal to pay the amount required may be penalized by dismissal.
Caucasian Knot quotes unnamed Chechen government and prosecutor's office employees as denying that any such system of deductions exist. They claim that any donations employees make are purely voluntary.
A third drain on the salaries of budget sector employees, including hospital workers and police, are kickbacks reportedly demanded by their superiors, who are themselves required to pay a specific monthly sum to the ministry that employs them. A portion of those funds is then said to be paid to Kadyrov personally.
AKHMAT KADYROV FOUNDATION is basically Kadyrov’s slush fund and it is financed through “voluntary” contributions and very, very complex shell-company chains
Fuller, Liz, “Chechnya's Best-Kept Secret: The Workings of the Akhmad Kadyrov Fund”, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, June 6, 2015
The eponymous fund was established in June 2004, some seven weeks after Akhmad Kadyrov's death.
Kommersant describes it as "one of the least transparent NGOs" in the Russian Federation. The fund has never been audited and does not comply with the legal requirement that all NGOs receiving over 3 million rubles per year must submit accounts to the federal Justice Ministry. (A Justice Ministry official told Kommersant that the Akhmad Kadyrov fund is exempt from doing so because its accounts are published in the Chechen media -- but they are not.)
The balance of the fund was reportedly 916 million rubles in 2012 and 1.45 billion in 2013.
The stated purpose of the fund, as outlined on its website, is "to provide charitable assistance to citizens in need and to create jobs for the republic's population."
It has, for example, financed the construction of hundreds of homes for families left destitute after the war of 1999-2000, as well as provided medical assistance and the purchase of equipment for the republic's hospitals.
In practice, however, the fund's activities are infinitely more diverse and are not geographically confined to Chechnya, or even the North Caucasus.
Religion is a primary focus: It was the Akhmad Kadyrov fund that financed the construction of the grandiose Heart of Chechnya mosque in central Grozny as well as four schools for hafizes (scholars who can recite the entire Koran from memory) and a center for Islamic medicine. It also funded the restoration, at a cost of 65 million rubles, of a mosque in Tomsk.
The fund has even subsidized the cost of the hajj for thousands of pilgrims from the North Caucasus.
It has also sent humanitarian aid to Somalia and, over the past year, to the war-torn Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
But some expenditure cannot by any stretch of the imagination be described as charity.
The Family claims that the fund paid millions of dollars to Western celebrities to attend Ramzan Kadyrov's birthday party in 2011.
Its most recent act of generosity was to present 16 Harley Davidson motorcycles to the Chechen branch of the Night Wolves, a Russian nationalist bikers club, in acknowledgement of their "services to Russia." Ramzan Kadyrov took personal credit for, and basked in the publicity generated by, that gift.
Although it amounts to a substantial sum, the money reportedly withheld from Chechens' salaries is clearly inadequate to finance the vast range of activities in which the fund engages. The balance apparently comes from a mind-bogglingly intricate network of companies owned either by the fund or individuals closely affiliated with it, and which control virtually the entire Chechen real-estate sector.
Kommersant has established, for example, that the Akhmed Kadyrov fund owns a major construction company, Megastroyinvest. This firm, in turn, owns a 50 percent stake in the company Kolizey, through which, according to Kommersant, much of the cash "donations" to the fund are channeled. Kolizey owns a major Grozny sports complex and is one of very few organizations in Chechnya licensed to sell alcohol.
The Russian daily quotes Ivan Pavlov, head of the public organization Komanda-29, which campaigns for freedom of information, as saying that, although it is legal for charitable organizations to establish commercial structures, he has never before seen it done on such a scale.
On Saturday, April 9, a nitric acid tank in Rubizhne was hit, resulting in Russian disinformation blaming it on Ukrainians
StopFake.org, “Fake: Ukrainian Troops Blow Up Nitric Acid Tanks in Rubizhne”, stopfake.org (Ukrainian fact-checking website), April 11, 2022, https://www.stopfake.org/en/fake-ukrainian-troops-blow-up-nitric-acid-tanks-in-rubizhne/
Contrary to Russian disinformation reports, the Ukrainian military did not blow up a nitric acid tank in Rubizhne, Luhansk province on April 9. According to Luhansk regional governor Serhiy Haidai, Russian troops had already twice blown up a nitric acid tank in Rubizhne. Blowing up its own chemical storage facility does not give the Ukrainian military any tactical advantage. The Ukrainian army has no plans to abandon its positions and leave Rubizhne.
Russian media claim that on April 9, Ukrainian Armed Forces blew up a tank containing nitric acid on the grounds of the Zarya chemical plant in Rubizhne, an industrial city in Luhansk province. Interfax, Regnum, Radio Sputnik, VKpress, Izvestya and others all reported that Ukrainian troops were retreating from Rubizhne and as they were pulling out, they blew up the tank. Ukrainian troops however have no plans to leave their positions in and around Rubizhne and they did not blow up any cisterns containing chemicals, said Luhansk province governor Serhiy Haidai.
In fact, immediately after the explosion occurred Governor Haidai said that it was indeed Russian troops who had blown up the nitrogen tank. Directly before the explosions the Russian army had carried out a massive ground attack in Rubizhne, but had been repulsed by the Ukrainian army. As a result, several Russian tanks and armored personnel carriers were destroyed and up to 50 Russian soldiers were killed. Therefore, claims that Ukrainian Armed Forces are leaving the city and surrendering their positions, and that is why they blew up the tank, does not correspond with reality.
CNN reports wheat is on the way to Syria, Russia, Crimea
CNN staff, “It's 11 p.m. in Kyiv. Here's what you need to know”, cnn.com, Ukraine tracker, May 10, 2022, https://www.cnn.com/europe/live-news/russia-ukraine-war-news-05-10-22/h_b04423d9e24834e0ac4e9d2f02f5e203
Ukrainian intelligence says grain stolen by Russians is already in the Mediterranean: The intelligence arm of the Ukrainian defense ministry said that grain stolen by Russian troops in occupied areas is already being sent abroad. The intelligence directorate claimed that a "significant part of the grain stolen from Ukraine is on dry cargo ships under the Russian flag in the Mediterranean." The directorate said the "most likely destination is Syria. Grain may be smuggled from there to other countries in the Middle East." The directorate also said the Russians "continue to export food stolen in Ukraine to the territory of the Russian Federation and the occupied Crimea."
Multiple Syrian mercenary groups may be at play on both sides of the Ukraine war
Alamuddin, Baria, “Arabs face hunger as Syrian mercenaries join the Ukraine inferno”, Arab News (op-ed), March 21, 2022, https://www.arabnews.com/node/2046581
Bashar Assad remains in power only thanks to the Russian air force and the Revolutionary Guard assisting him in murdering hundreds of thousands of Syrians and bombing proud Arab cities such as Aleppo and Homs into dust. Now Russian President Vladimir Putin is calling in that debt.
When Putin signaled his interest in recruiting 16,000 Syrian mercenaries to fight in Ukraine, some analysts saw this as cheap propaganda to unnerve the West. However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights warns that about 40,000 Syrians have already signed up to fight. And why wouldn’t they, when they can earn about $15 a month fighting at home compared with up to $3,000 plus “death benefits” for killing Ukrainians? These aren’t just unemployed youths off the street, but personnel from some of Assad’s most prestigious military units.
Many Russian conscripts abandoned their vehicles and deserted en masse after discovering they were being sent to slaughter their Ukrainian neighbors. In contrast, these Syrian divisions have copious experience at remorselessly murdering their own countrymen, leading many to fear a bloodbath and a transformation in the dynamics of the fighting in Ukraine.
Given this outflow from Syria of Russian troops and mercenaries, the Assad regime could find itself weakened militarily and economically, even if it cares little that its citizens are left to starve. Assad would be in serious trouble if a bankrupt Kremlin compelled the Syrian regime to pay off billions of dollars of war debts.
A GCC official told me that Assad could travel cap-in-hand to whichever regional states he chose, but aside from direct charitable aid to the Syrian people he will never receive a dirham of support that could end up on the pockets of the Revolutionary Guard or his regime itself.
Putin’s Chechen “adopted son” Ramzan Kadyrov has been boasting about fighting alongside Russia. Meanwhile, many anti-Kadyrov veterans of the Chechen conflict, including Chechen jihadists in Syria, have signaled their intention to travel to Ukraine for a fresh opportunity to give Putin and Kadyrov a bloody nose. Some Crimean Tartars established anti-Russian militias and urged to other Muslims to join their fight. This has all the makings of a vicious set of sub-conflicts by Muslim factions in a Christian-majority state.
On April 28, 2022, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense said grain theft happened in Kamianka-Dniprovska (Камянка-Дніпровська)
Ministry of Defence Ukraine (Міністерство оборони України), “Operational information as of 06.00 on 29.04.2022 regarding the Russian invasion (Оперативна інформація станом на 06.00 29.04.2022 щодо російського вторгнення)”, Ministry of Defense Ukraine Telegram Channel, April 28, 2022, https://t.me/ministry_of_defense_ua/1418
6️⃣5️⃣Russia
does not stop conducting full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine.
The enemy continues offensive operations in the Eastern Operational Zone in order to establish full control over the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions and maintain the land corridor with the temporarily occupied Crimea.
In the Volyn and Polissya areas, the enemy did not take active action, no signs of the formation of offensive groups were found. Certain units of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus continue to perform tasks to strengthen the protection of the state border with Ukraine. No changes in the activities and composition of the enemy group were detected in the
Seversky direction .
In the Slobozhansky direction The enemy continues to focus its efforts on maintaining its positions in the area of the city of Kharkiv and is trying to carry out fire damage to units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in certain areas.
He did not conduct active offensive operations in the Izyum direction. His main efforts were focused on conducting reconnaissance, identifying the defensive positions of units of the Defense Forces and their destruction by artillery fire.
In the Donetsk and Tavriya directions , in order to prevent the regrouping of our troops, the enemy fires at positions from artillery, mortars and rocket-propelled grenade launchers along the entire line of contact.
The Russian occupiers continue to blockade our units in Mariupol, near the Azovstal plant.
In the temporarily occupied territories, the occupation authorities continue to take measures to restrict the movement and detention of local residents and block humanitarian goods from the territory of Ukraine. In addition, the Russian occupiers are robbing peasants. For example, more than 60 tons of wheat were stolen from a farm in the town of Kamianka-Dniprovska together with a truck.
We believe in the Armed Forces of Ukraine! Let's win together! Glory to Ukraine!
Grain theft was occurring in Zaporizhzhya, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk as of May 3, 2022
McCullough, Chris, “Russians reportedly steal grain, farm machinery”, Agri-View, May 3, 2022, https://www.agupdate.com/agriview/news/regional/russians-reportedly-steal-grain-farm-machinery/article_5104c504-5e46-54f2-8c75-d1edae72dcaa.html
Grain trucks have been filmed taking grain across the border while other footage shows expensive stolen Ukrainian farm machinery loaded onto Russian trucks. Some of the stolen farm machinery has been traced to farms as far away as in Chechnya, a republic in Russia.
Ukraine’s deputy agriculture minister, Taras Vysotskiy, said, “There are confirmed facts that several-hundred-thousand tons of grain in total were taken out of the Zaporizhzhya, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions.”
Zaporizhia Regional Military Administration confirms grain theft, interference with harvests, and need for “alternative logistics” as of May 28, 2022
Zaporizhia Regional Military Administration (Запорізька обласна військова адміністрація), “The territories of the region controlled by Ukraine are guaranteed to be provided with food grain (Підконтрольні Україні території області гарантовано забезпечені продовольчим зерном)”, @zoda_gov_ua Telegram, May 28, 2022, https://t.me/zoda_gov_ua/8366
The territories of the region controlled by Ukraine are guaranteed to be provided with food grain
🌾Despite the fact that Ukraine is a real granary and provided most of the world with its agro-industrial products, the war has brought changes in all spheres of life. Oleksandr Yasynetskyi, Deputy Director of the Department of Agro-Industrial Development of ZOVA, spoke on TV5 about the state of affairs in the agro-industrial sector and the current state of agricultural lands in the Zaporizhia region.
- Given that more than 70% of the region is under temporary occupation, today we have only 14% of arable land in the controlled area. That is, 268 thousand hectares remain. Spring field work was carried out where possible, - said Alexander Yasynetsky.
Realizing the complexity of the situation, farmers have increased the area under spring wheat and barley. Today, work is underway on soil preparation and sowing of arable crops: sunflower and corn. Farmers also take care of the condition of winter crops, treat them with plant protection products. The harvest campaign will begin in late June.
- This year the condition of crops is good, but they would be even better if the war did not interfere and farmers could fertilize crops in time, cultivate. Today there is such a problem - there is a lack of diesel fuel, gasoline. There is a need for plant protection products, mineral fertilizers, - explained the deputy director.
Last year, farmers managed to reap a record harvest. Zaporizhzhia region took 2nd place in Ukraine for the production of winter wheat. Harvest from other regions of Ukraine was also sent for sale through the ports of Zaporizhia region.
At present, alternative logistics routes need to be sought through blocked ports. In the Zaporizhia region, there are grains in elevators and private farms that can be sold painlessly to ensure food security in countries that depend on food supplies from Ukraine.
- Unfortunately, today logistics is motor transport or railway. There is no possibility of transportation by river or sea. This limits the volume of sales, - said Alexander Yasinetsky.
First of all, farmers themselves are interested in selling products. By selling what they have grown earlier, they receive funds to continue their activities and to conduct this year's harvest campaign. If last year's stocks are not sold in time, there will be no room for a new harvest, and there will not be enough space in the enterprises to store the volumes that farmers can collect.
- In order to provide the residents of the region with bakery products, 220-230 thousand tons of food wheat are needed per year. Today we already have 150,000 tons of wheat that can be used for baking bread. Given the future harvest, the controlled part will be guaranteed to be provided with food grain, - assured Oleksandr Yasynetsky.
Today in the temporarily occupied territories elevators and farms are being destroyed, property is being stolen. The occupiers are stealing crops and machinery. Also damaged and destroyed sown areas, elevators, warehouses for harvest.
But we believe that this situation will change in the near future! Victory for us!
🌾 Попри те, що Україна – справжня житниця та забезпечувала велику частину світу своєю агропромисловою продукцією, війна внесла свої зміни у всі сфери життя. Про те, який стан справ в агропромисловому секторі, у якому стані зараз сільськогосподарські угіддя Запорізької області, розповів у ефірі телеканалу TV5 Олександр Ясинецький, заступник директора Департаменту агропромислового розвитку ЗОВА.
- Зважаючи на те, що більше 70% області знаходиться у тимчасовій окупації, на сьогодні маємо на підконтрольній території лише 14 % ріллі. Тобто залишилось 268 тисяч гектарів. Весняно-польові роботи проводилися там, де це можливо, - повідомив Олександр Ясинецький.
Розуміючи складність ситуацію, аграрії збільшили площі посіву ярої пшениці та ячменю. На сьогодні йде робота з підготовки грунту та посіву пропашних культур: соняшнику та кукурудзи. Також фермери піклуються про стан озимих культур, обробляють їх засобами захисту рослин. Наприкінці червня розпочнеться кампанія зі збирання врожаю.
- У цьому році стан посівів добрий, але були б ще кращі, якби не заважала війна і фермери могли б вчасно підкормити посіви, обробити. На сьогодні є така проблема – не вистачає дизельного палива, бензину. Є потреба у засобах захисту рослин, мінеральних добривах, - пояснив заступник директора.
У минулому році аграріям вдалось зібрати рекордний урожай. Запорізька область зайняла 2-ге місце в Україні по виробництву озимої пшениці. Через порти Запорізької області також відправляли на продаж врожай з інших областей України.
Наразі через заблоковані порти необхідно шукати альтернативні логістичні шляхи. У Запорізькій області на елеваторах та приватних господарствах є зерно, яке можливо безболісно продати для забезпечення продовольчої безпеки країн, які залежать від поставок їжі з України.
- На жаль, сьогодні логістика - це автотранспорт чи залізниця. Немає можливості транспортування ні річкою, ні морем. Це обмежує об’єми реалізації, - повідомив Олександр Ясинецький.
Першочергово у продажі продукції зацікавлені самі аграрії. Реалізовуючи вирощене раніше, вони отримують кошти для продовження своєї діяльності та на проведення кампанії зі збору врожаю цього року. Якщо вчасно не продати минулорічні запаси, то не буде місця для нового врожаю, на підприємствах не вистачить площ для зберігання обсягів, які можуть зібрати фермери.
- Для того, щоб забезпечити мешканців області хлібо-булочними виробами, на рік необхідно 220-230 тисяч тонн продовольчої пшениці. На сьогодні у нас уже є 150 тисяч тонн пшениці, яка може бути використана для випікання хліба. Враховуючи майбутній врожай, підконтрольна частина буде гарантовано забезпечена продовольчим зерном, - запевнив Олександр Ясинецький.
Сьогодні на тимчасово окупованих територіях елеватори та господарства руйнуються, майно розкрадається. Окупанти крадуть врожай, техніку. Також пошкоджуються та знищуються посівні площі, елеватори, склади для врожаю.
Але віримо, що найближчим часом ця ситуація зміниться! Перемога за нами!
Ukrainian agriculture officials and farmers say Chechens are stealing their machinery, trying to run their farms, and selling their crops
McCullough, Chris, “Russians reportedly steal grain, farm machinery”, Agri-View, May 3, 2022, https://www.agupdate.com/agriview/news/regional/russians-reportedly-steal-grain-farm-machinery/article_5104c504-5e46-54f2-8c75-d1edae72dcaa.html
Russian forces have been deliberately targeting Ukrainian farms with bombs, destroying farm infrastructure, farm machinery and killing livestock. The most recent case is a grain elevator in the Dnipropetrovsk region that was attacked by the Russians; a warehouse was totally destroyed.
With the forced closure of ports that normally export grain out of Ukraine, the price of food around the world has steadily increased. Ukrainian farmers are outraged that Russians are stealing their grain and machinery for themselves, sending it across the border.
Ukrainian Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskiy said grain theft has increased in the past two weeks in the occupied regions.
He said, “I personally hear this from many silo owners in the occupied territory. This is outright robbery. And this is happening everywhere in occupied territory.
“There will soon be a wheat harvest in the south. But farmers in this situation may well say, ‘Here are the keys to the tractor; go collect it yourself, if you want it.’”
Kremlin officials have denied Ukraine’s allegations, saying they didn’t know where the information was coming from.
Meanwhile Russian troops in the occupied city of Melitopol have reportedly stolen all the equipment from a farm-machinery dealership there and have reportedly shipped it to Chechnya. The thieves targeted high-end machinery at the John Deere dealership, including combines and tractors worth more than $5 million. But the machines had been locked remotely and were of no use to those trying to access them.
Two combine harvesters, a tractor and a seeder had been taken first but everything else was removed during the next few weeks. In all 27 pieces of farm machinery were stolen. Due to their onboard GPS technology, they were last tracked to the village of Zakhan Yurt in Chechnya. Sources say Russian technology experts are trying to bypass the technology to allow the machines to operate.
On other farms the Russians are forcing the staff to work for them. Kherson farmer Albert Cherepakha harvests 20,000 hectares per year – about 50,000 U.S. acres.
“Groups of armed Chechens, calling themselves Kadyrovites, entered my business units in the Genichesk district on April 11-12,” he said. “We have bases in the villages of Chongar, Chervonoye and Pavlovka. The gunmen said that from now on the company’s property belongs to them.
“The invaders are now running the production processes at the farm and commanded my workers to start sowing, to prepare an application for the necessary inputs. Then they started to take out and sell goods stored in stocks.”
A lot of evidence suggests Russia is stealing a lot of grain and trying to sell it
Bove, Tristan, “Russia is stealing Ukraine’s grain and trying to sell it to other countries”, Fortune, May 12, 2022, https://fortune.com/2022/05/12/russia-stealing-ukraine-grain-selling-it/
Evidence is mounting that Russia is stealing Ukrainian harvests and trying to sell it.
On Tuesday, the intelligence arm of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense said that Russian ships carrying stolen Ukrainian grain had reached the Mediterranean Sea and were likely en route to Syria.
“From there, grain can be supplied to other countries in the Middle East,” the ministry said.
Last week, the UN cited anecdotal evidence that Russian troops were seizing Ukrainian grain harvests—including wheat, barley, and rye. Ukrainian officials confirmed this, saying that the Russian army had been “stealing their grain en masse” from farmers in Russian-occupied territory.
Multiple sources confirm the Matros Pozynich, carrying stolen Ukrainian grain from Crimea, was originally headed to Egypt and diverted to Syria; as of May 4th it was transiting between Crete and Cyprus
Bove, Tristan, “Russia is stealing Ukraine’s grain and trying to sell it to other countries”, Fortune, May 12, 2022, https://fortune.com/2022/05/12/russia-stealing-ukraine-grain-selling-it/
A Russian ship carrying Ukrainian grain is reportedly in the Mediterranean, seeking to offload its goods to the highest bidder.
On Tuesday, data and satellite imagery company Planet Labs captured photos of the Russian-flagged bulk carrier Matros Pozynich docking in Latakia, the principal port city of Syria. The satellite images were later analyzed by the Associated Press, which verified that the ship in the photo shared characteristics with the Matros Pozynich.
The ship is carrying 27,000 tons of grain, according to maritime tracking site FleetMon, and left port in the Russian-administered Crimean peninsula in late April. The Ukrainian government has alleged that this grain was stolen from the country by Russian troops, the AP reported.
The Matros Pozynich was originally headed for the port of Alexandria, Egypt, according to FleetMon. But after Ukrainian officials requested that Egypt not accept the ship and its stolen cargo, the Matros Pozynich changed course for Syria.
Last week, two Russian ships carrying stolen Ukrainian wheat were reportedly turned away from Egyptian ports, a Ukrainian official stationed in Egypt told the Wall Street Journal.
The Matros Pozynich’s last known location was recorded on May 4 between the Greek island of Crete and Cyprus, according to marine vessel tracking website VesselFinder. The ship’s transponders determining its location have been off since then.
In addition to the Matros Pozynich, the Mikhail Nenashev also carried wheat from Sevastopol to Turkey and was attempting to carry wheat from Sevastopol to Alexandria as of May 5th; transponder deactivation shows criminal intent
Peacemaker Center Informational Portal (Інформаційний Портал Центру "Миротворець"), “"MIKHAIL NENASHEV": ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO DELIVER GRAIN TO EGYPT FROM OCCUPIED SEVASTOPOL”, myrotvorets.news (activist OSINT site with Ukrainian LE and intelligence ties), May 5, 2022, https://myrotvorets.news/mykhayl-nenashev-shche-odna-sproba-dostav/
Ukrainian media, citing our investigation, reported on the situation with the Russian ship Matros Pozynych, which planned to deliver a consignment of 27,000 tons of wheat to the Egyptian port of Alexandria. The actions of the state authorities of Ukraine led to the rejection of this consignment of grain by the Egyptian side and the ship has now changed course and is heading to another country, probably Syria.
But there is another vessel owned by the same owners of Crane Marine Contractor (TIN 3017037780, IMO: 5756792) as Sailor Pozynych, which also goes with grain from Sevastopol to Egypt, which again requires a response from the Ukrainian authorities. .
On April 18, 2022, we reported about the illegal shipwreck of Mikhail Nenashev (IMO: 9515539, MMSI: 273292290, Call sign: UBYW5, Flag: Russia [RU]) in occupied Sevastopol. The violator loaded 27,500 tons of wheat at the berth of the Avlita stevedoring company, which was delivered to the Turkish port of Derinje in the Marmara Sea.
"Nenashev" left Derinje in the evening of April 26, 2022, crossed the Bosphorus at night and headed to the anchorage of the port of the Caucasus in the Kerch Strait.
There he turned off the AIS and headed for occupied Sevastopol. The ship "Mikhail Nenashev" appeared in Sevastopol Bay on May 1, 2022.
The violator was moored at the grain terminal of the Avlita stevedoring company, where 27,000 tons of wheat were loaded into his holds.
Late in the evening on May 3, 2022, "Mikhail Nenashev" moored from the berth in the Dock Bay and headed for the exit from the port of Sevastopol.
05.05.2022 signal from "Mikhail Nenashev" appeared in the AIS. The ship was at this time near the Bosphorus. The following screenshot from the MarinTrafic portal schematically shows the trajectory of the ship, which it moved with the AIS off.
Attempts to conceal his crime of violating the State Border of Ukraine and smuggling large amounts of cargo, which is expressed in the disconnection of the ship's transponder, shows that Captain "Mikhail Nenashev" Zheleznyak Andriy Sergeevich, born on April 14, 1983, acted knowingly and his guilt must be qualified in criminal proceedings as intent.
As of the time of publication of this material, the ship "Mikhail Nenashev" is moving through the Bosphorus, the AIS indicates the port of destination Alexandria.
We believe that the state authorities of Ukraine should inform the Egyptian side about another violator who is trying to deliver smuggled goods to Egypt. Criminal proceedings are also to be instituted against the ship's captain, Mikhail Nenashev.
As always, the Peacemaker Center is ready to provide advisory assistance and provide evidence of the activities of state bodies.
Yörük Işık at the Middle East Institute think tank claims that as of May 18 2022, in addition to ‘ordinary’ Russian military cargo traffic, at least five ships are involved in grain theft: MIKHAIL NENASHEV, MATROS POZYNICH, LAODICEA, SOURIA, FINIKIA
Işık, Yörük, “Russia is violating the spirit of Montreux by using civilian ships for war”, Middle East Institute, May 18, 2022, https://www.mei.edu/publications/russia-violating-spirit-montreux-using-civilian-ships-war
Currently, Russia is using five types of civilian merchant ships for war:
1. Cargo vessels owned by logistics company Oboronlogistika, part of the Russian Ministry of Defense. These purportedly civilian ships, such as Pizhma, Sparta, Sparta II, Ursa Major (x-Sparta III), and Sparta IV, regularly carry military cargo from Novorossiysk to Syria and from Baltic ports like Ust-Luga and Kaliningrad to Novorossiysk.
2. Russian-flag roll-on/roll-off cargo ships (ro-ros) of “private” Russian companies like Moscow-based M Leasing, which are owned by or working on behalf of the Russian government, such as Adler, Angara, and Lady Mariia, carry defense exports and transport weapons. For example, Russian-flag Lady Mariia carried arms from Kaliningrad to Novorossiysk. The same ship very recently carried weapons from Novorossiysk all the way to Myanmar, another conflict zone.
3. Older, non-Russian-flag ro-ros not seen in this region before but brought back into service and flying flags of convenience. These ships, such as Kocatepe (x-Varyag), Barbaros, Hızır, and Şampiyon Trabzonspor, now frequent Novorossiysk harbor, and are likely working as contractors for the Russian government. These ships, which carried military cargo in the past, are now prolonging the war in Ukraine by providing revenue and even transporting weapons for Russia’s use.
4. Russian-flag tankers regularly carry jet fuel to Hemeimeem Air Base in Syria. Several smaller tankers, especially Russian-flag Sig and Yaz, have been documented transporting aviation jet fuel to Baniyas, Syria for years. They are clearly not functioning as civilian ships and should be treated as Russian Navy auxiliary vessels. Preventing them from transiting the Turkish Straits would immediately ground the Russian Air Force in the Syrian theater. As Hemeimeem is also a refueling stop for flights to Russian military operations in the Central African Republic, Mali, and Venezuela, stopping these two ships would immediately disrupt Russian military operations globally.
5. Russian- or Syrian-flag bulk carriers that transport commodities like wheat, barley, or corn, such as Mikhail Nenashev, Matros Pozynich, Laodicea, Souria, and Finikia.
Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar claims the Syrian-flagged Finikia (IMO 9385233) was taking grain from Sevastopol and headed for the Bosporus
Insurance Marine News staff, “Ukraine asks Turkey to ban stolen grain cargoes from the Bosphorus”, Insurance Marine News (industry blog), May 20, 2022
The Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey has asked the Turkish government to prohibit cargoes of stolen Ukrainian grain from crossing the Bosphorus. Ukraine has claimed that Russian forces were stealing wheat and other commodities from inside occupied territories in Ukraine before transporting them by lorry to Crimea for export to overseas destinations.
One such cargo had already been tracked to the port of Latakia, Syria, it was claimed.
Ukrainian officials claim that the Russian bulker Matros Pozynich (IMO 9573816) loaded a cargo of 27,000 tonnes of stolen grain in Crimea, then transited to Latakia.
Ukraine claimed that the stolen grain would be laundered through the Syrian market for sale in neighbouring countries.
Ukrainian ambassador to Ankara Vasyl Bodnar claimed earlier this week that a second vessel had taken on a load of grain at Sevastopol and was headed for the Bosphorus. He identified the ship as the Syrian-flagged Finikia (IMO 9385233), a small geared bulker of about 19,000 dwt.
Bodnar called on Turkish authorities to take measures to prevent the vessel from transiting the Bosphorus or calling at Turkish seaports.
Finikia is one of three ships owned by Syriamar, the state-owned shipping agency of the Syrian government. The company is blacklisted on the US Treasury’s sanctions list for its connections to the Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and his military forces. Despite these sanctions, Syriamar’s vessels have a long history of operating between Turkish ports and Sevastopol.
Over the past two months, Finikia twice transited north through the Bosphorus and disappeared from satellite AIS tracking. The signal reliably reappears upon its return to the Turkish Straits VTS zone, where AIS transmission is required.
Ukrainian open-source intelligence researchers obtained webcam footage of the vessel entering Sevastopol’s harbour and calling at a grain terminal on May 11th. Its AIS reappeared in the Black Sea on May 14th and the vessel passed through the Bosphorus on May 15th.
Despite Ambassador Bodnar’s request, Finikia completed its transit and headed south, bypassing Turkish seaports. As of Tuesday evening, the AIS signal showed it located north of Cyprus, headed east on a previously-used route towards Syria.
Meanwhile, Russia has said that sanctions on Russia would have to be reviewed if it were to listen to a UN appeal to open access to Ukraine’s Black Sea ports so that grain could be exported.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko said on May 19th that “you have to not only appeal to the Russian Federation but also look deeply at the whole complex of reasons that caused the current food crisis and, in the first instance, these are the sanctions that have been imposed against Russia by the US and the EU that interfere with normal free trade, encompassing food products including wheat, fertilizers and others.”
2010-built, Russia-flagged, 17,025 gt Matros Pozynich is owned and managed by Crane Marine Contractor LLC of Astrakhan, Russia. As of May 16th the vessel was underway to Kavkaz, Russia, ETA May 18th.
2009-built, Syria-flagged, 11,767 gt Finikia is owned and managed by Syriamar of Latakia, Syria. As of May 19th it was at anchor of Iskenderun, south-eastern Turkey.
The Mikhail Nenashev is also owned by KMK, LLC, which also owns the Matros Koshka; KMK is owned by sanctioned ship-building firm United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC)
Peacemaker Center Informational Portal (Інформаційний Портал Центру "Миротворець"), MIKHAIL NENASHEV: USK-SANCTIONED SHIP PLANS TO DELIVER GRAIN FROM OCCUPIED SEVASTOPOL TO TURKEY”, myrotvorets.news (activist OSINT site with Ukrainian LE and intelligence ties), May 5, 2022, https://myrotvorets.news/mykhayl-nenashev-sudno-poviazane-z-pids/
Mikhail Nenashev and Matros Koshka are owned by Crane Marine Contractor, a subsidiary of the United Shipbuilding Corporation, which was subject to new US Treasury sanctions in April 2022. From February 2022, ships operate regular flights from occupied Sevastopol. grain. KMK, together with its founder YUCSS, is still avoiding US sanctions, and we suggest that the Ukrainian authorities contact our partners with a proposal to expand the list of sanctions against these violators.
The violator “Mikhail Nenashev” (IMO: 9515539, MMSI: 273292290, Call sign: UBYW5, Flag: Russia [RU]) entered occupied Sevastopol to load wheat on April 15, 2022.
The ship was loaded at the grain terminal of the stevedoring company "Avlita" (in Russian registers it is listed as "Aval"). The ship received 27,500 tons of wheat to be delivered to Turkey.
In the evening of April 17, 2022, "Mikhail Nenashev" left Sevastopol Bay.
Before illegally entering the occupied Sevastopol, Captain "Mikhail Nenashev" A. Zheleznyak turned off the AIS. This means that he committed the crime knowingly, and the form of guilt to be established by the law enforcement agencies of Ukraine must be qualified as intent.
"Mikhail Nenashev" previously violated the State Border of Ukraine - in February and March 2022. About his illegal entry into the occupied Sevastopol in March, we reported .
According to the European shipping base Equasis , the ship Mikhail Nenashev belongs to the Russian company CRANE MARINE CONTRACTOR CO LTD (IMO: 5756792).
In December 2021, another ship was registered for this company - "Matros Koshka" IMO: 9550137, MMSI: 273297880, Call sign: UBWW4, Flag: Russia [RU]).
"Matros Koshka" was twice in occupied Sevastopol (February and March 2022), and is now again going to load on Avlita.
The base of ship calls in the ports of the Russian Federation also confirms the connection of "KMK" with the offending vessels.
The Russian company CRANE MARINE CONTRACTOR LLC (TIN 3017037780) is registered in Astrakhan.
Director Ryndin Dmitry Alexandrovich (TIN 301506489393).
CNN confirms the Peacemaker Center account and company identification of KMK, LLC
Lister, Tim and Fylyppov, Sanyo, “Russian ships carrying stolen Ukrainian grain turned away from Mediterranean ports – but not all of them”, CNN, May 12, 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/12/europe/russia-ship-stolen-ukraine-grain-intl-cmd/index.html
A Russian merchant ship loaded with grain stolen in Ukraine has been turned away from at least one Mediterranean port and is now in the Syrian port of Latakia, according to shipping sources and Ukrainian officials.
CNN has identified the vessel as the bulk carrier Matros Pozynich.
On April 27, the ship weighed anchor off the coast of Crimea, and turned off its transponder. The next day it was seen at the port of Sevastopol, the main port in Crimea, according to photographs and satellite images.
The Matros Pozynich is one of three ships involved in the trade of stolen grain, according to open source research and Ukrainian officials.
Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, produces little wheat because of a lack of irrigation. But the Ukrainian regions to its north, occupied by Russian forces since early March, produce millions of tons of grain every year. Ukrainian officials say thousands of tons are now being trucked into Crimea.
Kateryna Yaresko, a journalist with the SeaKrime project of the Ukrainian online publication Myrotvorets, told CNN the project had noticed a sharp increase in grain exports from Sevastopol – to about 100,000 tons in both March and April.
From Sevastopol, according to satellite images and tracking data reviewed by CNN, the Matros Pozynich transited the Bosphorus and made its way to the Egyptian port of Alexandria. It was laden with nearly 30,000 tons of (Ukrainian) wheat, according to Ukrainian officials.
President Joe Biden listens as O'Connor Farms owner Jeff O'Connor, left, speaks and Gina O'Connor, owner of O'Connor Farms, center, looks on at the farm Wednesday, May 11, 2022, in Kankakee, Ill. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Biden blames Russia's war in Ukraine for food supply shortages and price hikes
But the Ukrainians were one step ahead. Officials say Egypt was warned that the grain was stolen; the shipment was turned away. The Pozynich steamed towards the Lebanese capital, Beirut, with the same result.
The Matros Pozynich turned off its transponder again on May 5, but imagery from Tankertrackers.com and Maxar Technologies shows it traveled to the Syrian port of Latakia.
The Syrian regime has a close relationship with Russia and the Russian military are frequently in Latakia. Indeed, the Matros Pozynich is named after a Russian soldier killed in Syria in 2015.
Mikhail Voytenko, editor-in-chief of the Maritime Bulletin, told CNN that the grain could be reloaded onto another ship at Latakia to disguise its origins. “When the destination port starts to change without any serious reason, this is another proof of smuggling,” he said.
In its first comments on the illicit export of Ukrainian grain, the Defense Ministry’s Intelligence Directorate said Tuesday that “a significant part of the grain stolen from Ukraine is on vessels sailing under the Russian flag in the waters of the Mediterranean.”
“The most likely destination of the cargo is Syria. The grain can be smuggled from there to other countries of the Middle East,” it said.
Shipping data shows that the Matros Pozynich is one of three bulk carriers registered to a company called Crane Marine Contractor, based in Astrakhan, Russia. The company is not under international sanctions.
KMK’s website is cmc-heavylift.ru
KMK, LLC, http://www.cmc-heavylift.ru/ru/, accessed May 16, 2022
KMK, LLC legal address and CEO confirmation; former owner LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY "KASPIYSKAYA ENERGIA PROEKTY" (ОБЩЕСТВО С ОГРАНИЧЕННОЙ ОТВЕТСТВЕННОСТЬЮ "КАСПИЙСКАЯ ЭНЕРГИЯ ПРОЕКТЫ"), current owner JOINT STOCK COMPANY "YUZHNY CENTR SHIPBUILDING AND SUDOREMONTA" (АКЦИОНЕРНОЕ ОБЩЕСТВО "ЮЖНЫЙ ЦЕНТР СУДОСТРОЕНИЯ И СУДОРЕМОНТА")
Excheck.pro, “LLC "KMK" (ООО "КМК")”, excheck.pro (business information site), accessed May 16, 2022, https://excheck.pro/company/3017037780-kmk
PSRN 1033002810719
TIN 3017037780
Gearbox 302501001
OKPO 14798438,
CEO: Ryndin Dmitry Alexandrovich Рындин Дмитрий Александрович, TIN 301506489393,
Legal address 414018, Astrakhan region, Astrakhan, st. Admiral Nakhimov, 60
Telephone +7 851 261-05-00
Email hr@cnrg.ru
11/13/2020
Deleted the record about the founder LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY "KASPIYSKAYA ENERGIA PROEKTY"
JOINT STOCK COMPANY "YUZHNY CENTR SHIPBUILDING AND SUDOREMONTA" becomes the new founder of the organization
Confirmation: KMK, LLC, address, CEO and neighbors, owner JOINT STOCK COMPANY "SOUTH CENTER OF SHIPBUILDING AND SHIP REPAIR" АКЦИОНЕРНОЕ ОБЩЕСТВО "ЮЖНЫЙ ЦЕНТР СУДОСТРОЕНИЯ И СУДОРЕМОНТА"
list-org, “Organization OOO "KREYN MARIN CONTRACTOR" (“Организация ООО "КРЕЙН МАРИН КОНТРАКТОР")”, accessed May 16, 2022, https://www.list-org.com/company/118937
CEO: RYNDIN DMITRY ALEXANDROVICH
Index: 414000
Address: G ASTRAKHAN, STREET AKHSHARUMOV, D 163, LITTER A,..
Legal address: 414018, ASTRAKHAN REGION, ASTRAKHAN, STR. ADMIRAL NAKHIMOV, D.60
Phone: +7 (8512) 61-05-00
Fax: +7 (8512) 61-05-57
E-mail: info@cmc-heavylift.ru, 3017037780_301701001@eo.tensor.ru
Website: www.cmc-heavylift.rumultiple companies at that address; other companies nearby include: CHARITABLE FOUNDATION "SANEPIDBLAGOPOLUKHIIE" OF THE ASTRAKHAN REGION , NON- GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION ASTRAKHAN TRADE UNION OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS "MIGROS" , NGO DISABLED WAR IN AFGHANISTAN , LLC "LUCH"
Confirmation: RYNDIN DMITRY ALEKSANDROVICH is CEO of KMK, LLC
Za Chestnyi Biznes, “RYNDIN DMITRY ALEKSANDROVICH (Рындин Дмитрий Александрович)”, zachestnyibiznes.ru (counterparty check and business info site), accessed May 16, 2022, https://zachestnyibiznes.ru/fl/301506489393
RYNDIN DMITRY ALEKSANDROVICH
TIN 301506489393
Head (1)
LLC "KMK"
Ryndin Dmitry Alexandrovich Operating 414018, Astrakhan region, Astrakhan, st. TIN 3017037780 , PSRN 1033002810719 , authorized capital 49,348,000 rubles, date of registration 05/14/2003 Main activity 52.24.2 Transport processing of other cargo
Confirmation: Ryndin Dmitry Alexandrovich is CEO of KMK, LLC and KMK, LLC address
https://www.aoosk.ru/companies/ooo_kmk/ Joint Stock Company United Shipbuilding Corporation’s own website confirms that it owns KMK, LLC, and its CEO is Ryndin Dmitry Alexandrovich
Joint Stock Company United Shipbuilding Corporation (sanctioned Russian shipbuilding company), “Enterprises: Limited Liability Company "Crane Marine Contractor"”, aoosk.ru (official company website), https://www.aoosk.ru/companies/ooo_kmk/
Enterprises
Limited Liability Company "Crane Marine Contractor"
Supervisor
Ryndin Dmitry Alexandrovich
CEO
Contact Information
414018, Astrakhan region, Astrakhan, Adm. Nakhimova st., 60
+7 (8512) 61-05-00
info@cmc-heavylift.ru
KMK, LLC address, financials and CEO confirmation
checko.ru, “LLC "KMK" LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY "KREYN MARIN CONTRACTOR" (ООО "КМК" ОБЩЕСТВО С ОГРАНИЧЕННОЙ ОТВЕТСТВЕННОСТЬЮ "КРЕЙН МАРИН КОНТРАКТОР")”, checko.ru (business info site), accessed May 16, 2022, https://checko.ru/company/kmk-1033002810719
PSRN 1033002810719
TIN 3017037780
Gearbox 302501001
OKPO 14798438
Date of registration
May 14, 2003
Name in English
LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY "CRANE MARINE CONTRAСTOR"
Kind of activity
Transport handling of other cargoes
+ 14 more activities
Legal address
414018, Astrakhan region, Astrakhan, st. Admiral Nakhimov, 60
Organizational and legal form
Limited liability companies
Authorized capital
RUB 49,348,000
Financial statements for 2021
Revenue increased to 433.4 million rubles. 682%
Net profit fell to -13 million rubles. -114%
CEO
Ryndin Dmitry Alexandrovich
TIN 301506489393
from July 30, 2020
Founder
JOINT STOCK COMPANY "YUZHNY CENTER OF SHIPBUILDING AND SHIP REPAIR"
from November 13, 2020
Moving grain out of Ukraine poses a severe logistical challenge and will require new logistics
Baranyuk, Yuri, “Grain war. How Russia prevents Ukraine from exporting grain by sea, but sells the seized grain under the guise of Russian (Зерновая война. Как Россия не дает Украине вывозить зерно по морю, но продает захваченное зерно под видом российского)”, CurrentTime.tv (RFE/RL-based Russian news site), May 16, 2022, https://www.currenttime.tv/a/zernovaya-voyna-kak-rossiya-ne-daet-ukraine-vyvozit-zerno-po-moryu-no-prodaet-zahvachennoe-zerno-pod-vidom-rossiyskogo/31848715.html
The European Commission is now looking for opportunities to export grain from Ukraine. There, in particular, they are now working on the possibility of exporting millions of tons of grain by rail and other modes of transport, which got stuck in ports and elevators due to the blocking of Ukrainian ports by the Russian fleet. However, this will require colossal efforts and fundamentally new logistics. After all, one bulk carrier can take on board about 60,000 tons of grain on average. A truck, for example, is only a few tens of tons. And even if all the export grain from Ukraine were suddenly somehow managed to be delivered to the Mediterranean ports of Europe, these cereals would not be able to be instantly reloaded onto merchant ships everywhere.
"Let's not forget that European ports have planned port activities and their own schedule. When they planned their work, they did not plan that they would still have to transport grain cargo from Ukraine," political analyst Oleksiy Yakubin notes.
Vladimir Putin predicts a "record grain harvest" in Russia's history: "130 million tons, including 87 million tons of wheat." And predicts that Russia will enter new markets. At the same time, according to CNN, Russia, in addition to its own grain, is already selling Ukrainian grain seized in the occupied territories. Journalists, using satellite images, tracked the ship that delivered cereals to Syria from the occupied Crimea. Prior to this, the cargo was brought to the peninsula by cars from Ukrainian elevators.
“We are talking about the situation that has developed in the occupied parts of Ukraine: this is Kherson, part of the Zaporozhye region, Donetsk, Lugansk. In fact, this is about 500 thousand tons of grain, which today are actually sent from the territory of Ukraine,” Denis Marchuk calculates these losses. According to him, these 500,000 tons of grain could cost more than $150 million, which is a serious loss for the Ukrainian budget.
In addition, Marchuk emphasizes, it is important to understand that long-term trading partners of Kyiv will not receive cereals. And these are not only prosperous Western countries, but also the developing states of North Africa and the Middle East. In these regions, grain shortages could lead to famine and mass protests.
“Remember the Arab Spring in 2011. In fact, it all started with the fact that people had no money, and the prices for grain and flour went up very high,” he reminds. received a very large number of refugees because of the "Arab spring. The same question is still standing today."
Updated: May 6th Mariupol grain theft, Dmitry Skorniakov
MacDonald, Alastair, “Russians Are Taking Ukrainian Grain, Farmers and Officials Say”, Wall Street Journal, May 6, 2022
Ukrainian farmer Dmitry Skorniakov said he has had around 18,000 tons of grains taken from his property near to the besieged city of Mariupol. Ukrainians have tweeted footage of what they say are Russian military transporters taking grain away in occupied parts of the country.
Other mentions of Dmitry Skorniakov: WSJ May 31 2022
Peters, Craig, “Bombed Bridges, Closed Ports Keep Ukrainian Grain From A World That Needs It”, Wall Street Journal via VigourTimes (news blog), May 31, 2022
Earlier this month, Ukrainian farmer Dmitry Skorniakov dispatched 5,500 tons of corn from a silo north of Kyiv to the port of Reni on the Danube.
Starting May 10, the truck journey should have taken a day. Instead it took three days. A lack of diesel meant its driver spent time searching for fuel and a partially destroyed bridge outside of Odessa slowed transit further.
At Reni, trucks had to wait eight days to discharge their load. The grain was sold to U.S. agricultural trading giant Cargill Inc. and bound for the Middle East, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Mr. Skorniakov recently attended a grain conference in Geneva and was surprised that traders appeared to believe that the export problems were temporary.
“I said, ‘Guys, my personal advice to all of you is to buy as much food as possible and put it in storage,” he said. “This problem will not disappear.”
Skorniakov is CEO of HarvEast as of 2015, HarvEast is owned by SCM Group (Akhmetov) and Smart Holding
Harveast.com, “Dmitriy Skornyakov appointed CEO of HarvEast”, harveast.com (official company site), February 2, 2015
Dmitriy Skornyakov has been appointed CEO of HarvEast by decision of the shareholders of SCM Group and Smart Holding.
Dmitriy Skornyakov has been with the company since its establishment in 2011. He acted as the CFO before he was promoted to the Chief Operating Officer in 2012 with responsibility for production.
Dmitriy Skornyakov graduated with honours from the Russian State Tax Academy of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation. He has a diploma of the Plekhanov Russian Academy of Economics and over 16 years of experience of working in different analytical and operational positions. Before joining the holding Dmitriy was a senior manager in the leading international auditing company Pricewaterhouse Coopers.
Profile:
HarvEast Holding is an agricultural group of companies, which owns and manages assets in Donetsk Oblast and the Crimea. The holding's focus areas include crop raising (wheat, sunflower, barley, permanent grasses and corn) and dairy farming.
Established on 10 March 2011, HarvEast Holding evolved from the assets previously owned by MMK Ilyicha. The overall bank of farmland is around 197 hectares and total livestock exceeds 17,500 heads.
The shareholders of HarvEast Holding are the SCM Group and Smart Holding.