Ukraine asks EU to impose sanctions against Bangladeshi companies for importing grain from occupied territories

Kyiv accuses Russia of mixing stolen Ukrainian wheat with its own and plans to hand over evidence to Brussels.

Ukraine is preparing an appeal to the EU to impose sanctions on Bangladeshi companies that purchase grain exported from the territories temporarily occupied by Russia. This was reported by the Ukrainian Ambassador to India Oleksandr Polishchuk in an interview with Reuters.

According to diplomatic documents, Kyiv has repeatedly warned the Bangladeshi government about purchasing grain that is exported through the Crimean ports of Sevastopol, Kerch and Berdyansk, and then transported from the Russian port of Kavkaz. The Ukrainian Embassy in New Delhi has sent four notes of protest with details of ships and routes, covering more than 150,000 tons of allegedly stolen wheat.

Despite this, the Bangladeshi government has not provided a response, and Kyiv has decided to turn to Brussels. According to Polishchuk, Russia mixes stolen grain with its own to hide its origin, a practice that is difficult to detect because, as one trader put it, “grain is not diamonds or gold.”

The letters, which were seen by Reuters, say that sanctions could be imposed not only on importers but also on officials who knowingly allow or ignore such trade. The Ukrainian side also emphasizes that buying stolen wheat “increases humanitarian suffering.”

The EU has so far stated that the list of ships involved in such transportation is not under sanctions, but confirmed that such restrictions could be imposed if the facts are proven.

USM previously wrote that Lebanon refused to accept a ship with stolen Ukrainian grain.