United Kingdom Unveils New Database to Trace Ukrainian Crops Stolen by Russia

The United Kingdom has developed a database to track and prevent the theft of grain from Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia and will hand it over to Ukraine in the coming weeks.

This was reported on the UK government’s website on January 16.

On the same day, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Kyiv committing to a ‘100-Year Partnership’ treaty designed to ensure Ukraine’s security for the next century.

“And as part of the partnership, a new Grain Verification Scheme will also be launched to track stolen grain from occupied Ukrainian territories. The UK developed the new scheme following an ask from Ukraine to the G7 to help trace snatched grain from Ukraine fields under Russian control, which is then relabelled and sold on,” the statement read.

The statement emphasized that Ukraine, as a “major supplier of agricultural produce”, plays a crucial role in ensuring global food security.

“Using cutting edge science to help determine where grain has been grown and harvested, the UK has developed a database to support Ukraine’s efforts to trace and stop theft of grain from occupied regions,” the press release added.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal stated on October 8 that Russia exported more than 180,000 tons of stolen Ukrainian grain through the port of Mariupol in 2024.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal revealed on October 8 that over 180,000 tons of stolen Ukrainian grain were exported through the port of Mariupol in 2024 alone. This adds to the alarming figures shared by the Ukrainian World Congress, which reported that at least 4 million tons of grain were illegally exported by Russia in 2023.

Further investigations by The Wall Street Journal uncovered that in 2022, Russia and its allies profited nearly $1 billion by selling grain stolen from occupied Ukrainian regions. This grain was either seized from Ukrainian farmers or acquired at coercively low prices.