WSJ: The company ex-head of the Ministry of Agriculture of Russia Tkachev captured 1.6 thousand km² of land in Ukraine

Since the beginning of the war, the former Minister of Agriculture of Russia Alexander Tkachev captured the territory of the three largest agricultural enterprises in Ukraine. This was written by The Wall Street Journal with reference to Ukrainian intelligence data and Ukrainian farmers. The capture of Ukrainian lands can give Russia the opportunity to control most of one of the world's largest grain crops.

According to them, the company Tkachev “Agrookompleks” captured 400 thousand acres of land (1618 km²), thereby becoming one of the largest farms operators in Ukraine. Dmitry Skornyakov, director of the Ukrainian agricultural company Harveast Holding, said in a conversation with WSJ that in May, as a result of an armed battle, the Harveast land was divided into three tranches. As a result, 405 km² of territory passed into the hands of Tkachev.

Another 201 km² “Agrocomplex” “confiscated” with the Ukrainian agricultural company Nibulon. According to its executive director Andrei Vadatursky, now AgroComplex is engaged in farm activity there. The third Ukrainian company, AGROTON Public LTD., accused the AgroComplex of capturing another 1012 km².

WSJ interlocutors said that the process of capturing Ukrainian agricultural territories began after Russia opened its occupation administrations in the east of Ukraine. After that, LDNR officials began to come to local farmers, sometimes with armed groups, and threats forced them to sign documents on property in accordance with Russian laws. Some farmers allowed themselves to leave their lands, but only if in the future 70% of their crop will go to Russia and the “LDNR”.

According to the head of the Ukrainian company Agroton, Yuri Zhuravlev, in May a man called him who introduced himself as the “Minister of Agriculture of the LPR”. He said that 1 thousand km² of the land of Agroton now belong to Agro -compartment. Also, his company stole 350 thousand tons of wheat and sunflower seeds.