Ukraine urges BD not to receive grains 'stolen' by Russia

The wartorn Ukraine's embroiled authorities have requested Bangladesh to take urgent measures to avert unloading 'looted' grains and importing goods originating from their Russian-occupied territories, sources said.

In line with a letter from Kyiv, the Ukrainian embassy in India's New Delhi communicated its government's concerns second time regarding the alleged purchase of grain (wheat) stolen by Russia.

Ukraine believes the discharge and distribution of yet another shipment of looted Ukrainian grains would "constitute the legitimization of systematic theft perpetrated by the occupying power and would amount to direct financial support by Bangladesh for the Russian Federation's ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine."

The European Union (EU) country has recently written to Bangladesh authorities concerned, including Bangladesh the high commission in New Delhi, to take step in this connection, the sources said.

According to the Ukrainian Embassy, New Delhi, more than 51,000 tonnes of grains illegally exported by Russia from the temporarily occupied Ukrainian ports of Kerch, Sevastopol and Berdyansk were delivered by Russian coastal vessels to a roadstead transshipment point near the port of Kavkaz (Russia) and loaded onto a bulk carrier registered in the Marshall Islands on July 15- 30, 2025.

On July 31, the vessel departed the area en route to the port of Chittagong, Bangladesh, with the estimated date of arrival August 24, 2025, where it is expected to be unloaded, the letter reads.

The Ukrainian side has strongly urged the Bangladesh government to take all necessary and immediate measures to prevent the unloading of this vessel and to categorically prohibit the import of grain originating from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

A foreign ministry official says, "We are working on resolving the issue properly."

Following the request by Kyiv, the foreign affairs ministry has requested state agencies, including food, commerce, and shipping ministries, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) and Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) to make necessary comments soon on the concerns raised by Ukraine, they added.

Contacted, a senior food ministry official said, "The Ukrainian government has already requested Bangladesh for the second time to take appropriate measures to prevent the vessels from entering the port, prohibit the unloading of what they describe as stolen grain, and refrain from importing any goods originating from the territories of Ukraine temporarily occupied by Russia."

Earlier, Approximately 53,900 tonnes and 42,000 tonnes of grain were illegally exported from the temporarily occupied Ukrainian ports of Sevastopol and Kerch from May 1 to 11 and April 24 to May 25, 2025 respectively, a note verbale claimed.

Then War-torn Ukraine prepares to request the EU to impose sanctions on private entities that it alleges are importing wheat 'stolen' from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.

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