Russia harvests a billion dollars of wheat in occupied Ukraine | Abroad

The NASA program uses proprietary technology that detects changes in texture and color on satellite images to determine whether or not crops have been harvested. According to NASA Harvest, nearly six million tons of wheat has been harvested in areas not under Ukrainian control. About 88 percent of the winter crops grown in the occupied territories have been harvested. Especially on the front lines, grain remained in the fields.

The research raises the question of what happens to these crops. Russian ships may have exported grain to countries like Libya and Iran. However, it is difficult to estimate the quantities involved because the source of the cargoes is not clear. Meanwhile, Russia denies that it stole the grain.

Ukraine is a major exporter of wheat, and the blockade of its ports after the Russian invasion drove up prices. This may have made grain smuggling more profitable. Grain prices fell thanks to an agreement that allowed Ukraine to resume exports. However, prices are still high.

Nearly a quarter of Ukraine’s wheat is grown on land that Russia claims to have annexed. Ukraine still controls part of that area. NASA’s harvest estimates are for wheat and so far do not include other crops or nutrients.

The top public prosecutor in Switzerland, a major commodities trading hub, has previously warned that selling looted raw materials could be a war crime. HarvEast, a Ukrainian grain farmer, said earlier that all winter crops grown in the Donetsk region this summer were removed by occupation forces. “This year, winter wheat in the region produced very high yields thanks to favorable weather conditions,” HarvEast said. “Everything that we harvested in our fields was stolen and exported from Ukraine.”