Is Russia exporting grain from Ukraine?

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Russian officials in occupied southern Ukraine say that Russia is sending grain to other countries.

The claim came as Ukrainian officials accused Russia of stealing about 600,000 tonnes of its grain and exporting some of it.

Russia does not deny it is stealing food.

Grain is exported to Africa and the Middle East every year.

Russia's navy is blocking Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea.

Russia wants the Black Sea Coast to be used to export grain.

According to the New York Times, the US claims that Russia is attempting to sell stolen Ukrainian wheat to Africa.

In mid-May, the US sent an alert to 14 countries, mostly in Africa, that Russian cargo ships were leaving near Ukraine ports laden with grain.

Yevgeny Balitsky, in charge of Russian-held areas in Zaporizhzhia region, said grain had left the region on freight trains bound for Russia's annexation of the peninsula.

The main contracts are being concluded with Turkey, he said.

A spokesman for the Russian occupation authority said that 11waggons of grain had arrived in the peninsula.

Grain was being transported from the Kherson region, according to RIA.

The Russian authorities have been contacted by the British Broadcasting Corporation.

There was no breakthrough in the talks between the Russian and Turkish foreign ministers.

The onus was on the Ukrainians to de-mine the waters off Odesa and other ports in order to allow wheat to be exported.

The foreign ministry spokesman said that Russia would use grain corridors to attack southernUkraine.

The food crisis is blamed on Western sanctions. Russia has been accused of weaponising food supplies.

Turkey is trying to get a deal done.

The Ukrainian ambassador to Turkey, Vasyl Bodnar, said last week that Turkey was one of the destinations for the stolen grain.

"We have made our appeal for Turkey to help us and, upon the suggestion of the Turkish side, are launching criminal cases against those stealing and selling the grains," he said.

The next harvest, which starts in late July, will be severely impacted if exports are not resumed.

He said that next year's grain exports would be limited to 20m tonnes, which is less than last year's 44.7 million.

Grain, cooking oil, fuel and fertiliser prices have gone up as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions on Russia are part of that.

Russia and Ukraine make up nearly a third of the global wheat supply.

According to UN data, Ukraine accounted for 16% of the world's corn supplies in 2019.

There are shortages of food in countries that have been hit by food insecurity due to the blockade of Ukraine.

The famine in the Horn of Africa is already having a devastating effect. There were four failed rainy seasons in a row. He said that 15 million people would be hungry by the end of the year.