MOSCOW (Reuters) – Pro-Russian authorities who control part of Ukraine’s Zaporizhia region said on Saturday they were exporting up to 7,000 tonnes of grain a day.
Ukraine accuses Russia of stealing grain produced on its territory since the start of the invasion on February 24 and seeking to export it as Russian grain, which Moscow denies.
However, the head of the pro-Russian authorities of Zaporizhia, Yevgeni Balitski, said on Saturday on social networks exporting up to 5,000 tonnes of cereals per day by rail, and between 1,500 and 2,000 tonnes by road, without specifying the destination.
He promised that this volume would soon increase via the Ukrainian port of Berdyansk controlled by the Russian army on the shores of the Sea of Azov.
“We will start loading cargo ships bound for Turkey. Farmers will be able to sell their production in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, Egypt – the usual markets,” said Yevgeni Balitski.
Reuters could not verify these claims.
In July, Balitski said he had struck deals with Iraq, Iran and Saudi Arabia to export grain produced in the part of the region controlled by Russia, which he said amounted to 1.5 million tons this year.
(Reuters report, French version Tangi Salaün)
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