POBNEWS24, Desk report Dhaka June 27, 2025 : Kiev has accused Bangladeshi companies of importing wheat collected from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. Ukraine will ask the European Union (EU) to impose sanctions on various Bangladeshi companies for importing this ‘stolen’ wheat. Reuters reports.
A top Ukrainian diplomat based in South Asia said that despite repeated warnings to Dhaka, the trade has not stopped, forcing them to take this step.
Russian forces have occupied vast agricultural lands in southern Ukraine since 2014. Before the full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine accused Russia of stealing wheat. However, Russia claims that the regions are now part of Russia and that they are exporting their own wheat.
According to documents obtained by Reuters, Ukraine’s New Delhi embassy has sent several letters to Bangladesh’s foreign ministry this year. The letters called for the rejection of more than 150,000 tonnes of stolen wheat imported from Russia’s Kavkaz port.
Ukraine’s ambassador to India, Oleksandr Polishchuk, said, “Dhaka has not responded to the letter. For this, Ukraine will now raise the issue with the EU. According to our intelligence, seized Ukrainian wheat is being exported mixed with Russian wheat.”
“This is a crime. We will share our investigation report with the EU and request them to take appropriate action,” he added.
The foreign ministries of Bangladesh and Russia did not comment on the matter when contacted by Reuters.
However, an official from Bangladesh’s food ministry told Reuters, “Dhaka does not import wheat produced in Russian-occupied territories. Bangladesh never imports stolen wheat.”
Despite being at war with Russia, Ukraine’s agriculture sector remains one of the country’s main sources of export revenue.
In April this year, Ukraine seized a foreign ship in its territorial waters, alleging it was carrying stolen wheat. The previous year, it had seized a foreign cargo ship on similar suspicions and detained its captain.
So far, the EU has imposed sanctions on 342 ships as part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.” The EU says the ships help Moscow evade Western sanctions by transporting oil, weapons and grain. Russia has called the sanctions illegal.
A Kiev official told Reuters that Ukrainian law clearly states that farmers in the occupied territories cannot trade with Russian companies.
Reuters said the Ukrainian embassy had sent four letters to the Bangladeshi government, listing the names and registration numbers of ships involved in transporting wheat from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. The letters also mention the dates when the ships left Russian ports.
The letters also mention the departure times and estimated arrival dates of ships bound for Bangladesh from Kavkaz port between November 2024 and June 2025.
In a letter sent on June 11, Ukraine warned that Bangladesh could face “serious sanctions” if it accepts the stolen wheat. The letter also said that such purchases would exacerbate humanitarian suffering. It added that the sanctions list could include not only importing companies but also officials from ministries and agencies.
In a statement, EU foreign and security policy spokeswoman Anita Hipper said, “The accused ships are not currently subject to any sanctions. However, if activities that undermine Ukraine’s food security, especially the transportation of stolen wheat, are proven, sanctions may be imposed in the future.’
Quoting Russian authorities, Reuters said that other regions controlled by Russia, excluding Crimea, provided about 3 percent of Russia’s total wheat production in 2024. Russian wheat transport company RusAgroTrans said that Bangladesh was the fourth largest buyer of Russian wheat in May 2024.
Ukrainian Ambassador Polishchuk said, ‘Russia is exporting wheat collected from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories mixed with its own wheat. The main purpose of this is to prevent the source from being identified.’
A Russian businessman, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, ‘It is difficult to clarify where the wheat loaded onto ships from Russian ports was produced. This is not gold or diamonds.’
