Issued on: 20/07/2022 – 08:04
Ukrainian authorities have accused Russia of deliberately destroying wheat crops farmers have managed to grow this year. Amid an looming global food crisis, Russian President Vladimir Putin insists Moscow is ready to facilitate Ukraine’s grain exports across the Black Sea. But Ukrainian farmers watching their burning fields have little faith in Putin’s promises.
More than a week after Viktor Hubanet’s grain fields were set on fire during a Russian strike, the Ukrainian farmer examines the scorched bare earth on which crops once stood ready for harvest.
“Look, you can still see the missiles, one there, two, three, four,” he said, pointing to ammunition in his burnt fields. “We lost about 500 tons [of grain]. At last year’s prices, that’s about 130,000 euros.”
NASA satellite images show that 22% of Ukraine’s farmland has been taken over by Russian forces. Amid a looming global food crisis, Ukrainian farmers say Russia is deliberately destroying their crops.
Click on the video player above to see the report of FRANCE 24 from the Eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine.