Ukraine can export no more than 1.5 million tonnes of agricultural products a month because of a Russian blockade of its ports, First Deputy Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskiy said on Friday.
He was quoted by Interfax Ukraine news agency as saying that before the blockade Ukraine could export more than 5 million tonnes of agricultural crops each month. Ukraine is now sending its products abroad by rail.
Earlier on April 27, Russia launched two missile strikes and damaged a strategic bridge in Ukraine’s Odesa region, state railways and local officials said.
The bridge across the Dniester Estuary is a part of the only fully Ukrainian-controlled railway route to Ukraine’s ports on Danube, which Kyiv regarded as a promising route for exports in a situation where Black Sea ports are blocked.
Ukraine, a major agricultural producer, used to export most of its goods through seaports but since Russia’s invasion in February has been forced to export by train via its western border or via its small Danube River ports. The first attack was on Tuesday evening, and as a result of a rocket hit, the bridge over the estuary was damaged, however, according to local officials, it could be quickly restored.
On April 30, Taras Vysotskiy said Russian forces have stolen "several hundred thousand tonnes" of grain in the areas of Ukraine they occupy.
Speaking to Ukrainian national TV, Taras Vysotskiy expressed concern that most of what he said was 1.5 million tonnes of grain stored in occupied territory could also be stolen by Russian forces.
Ukraine's foreign ministry accused Russia on Thursday of stealing grain in territory it has occupied, an act it said increased the threat to global food security.
