Agricultural and Rural Ukraine
Current War Situation in Ukraine
War Updates
May, 2024
Russia is striking multiple points along the front line in Ukraine
- On May 13, russian forces had breached the first Ukrainian line of defense. The troops had moved 5-6 km.
- Ukrainian forces are stabilizing the situation along the northern border in Kharkiv oblast. The tempo of russian offensive operations is constantly decreasing.
- russians captured Vovchansk. Almost 80% of the city has been destroyed. Russians prevent civilians from evacuating.
- The russian army has complete control over Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia oblast.
Energy system of Ukraine
- russian missile strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure since March 2024 have likely caused long-term damage to Ukrainian energy infrastructure and repeated energy blackouts.
- Half of Ukraine’s energy system was damaged.
- Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the russian army has already attacked DTEK thermal power plants almost 180 times.
- DTEK’s CEO, Maxim Timchenko, stated that the russian strikes have knocked out 80% of the company’s generation capacity. The damage will cost over twice the $110 million already spent on repairs during the war’s first year.
Photo: https://www.ukrinform.ua/
Deportation of Crimean Tatars
The most severe crimes of the Soviet regime
Shocking facts about the event:
- It was one of the fastest deportation operations in human history (within three days May 18-20, 1944).
- According to the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance, more than 200 000 Crimean Tatars were deported. However, the National Movement of Crimean Tatars, claims the number was 423 100 people, mostly women, children and the elderly.
- Deportation took 2-3 weeks and the conditions were inhumane (people were hardly fed or given water).
- 46% of Crimean Tatars died during the deportation.
- They were transferred to settlements similar to labor camps: they liven in barracks and were used as a cheap workforce.
- The Soviet authorities tried to erase all the memory of the existence of the Crimean Tatars, changing the names of local cities, towns, and villages to russian ones.
- The reason of deportation announced by the Soviet Union was the accusation of the entire Crimean Tatar people of collaboration with the Nazi occupiers and mass defection.
- The Parliament of Ukraine recognized the deportation as genocide of the Crimean Tatars in 2015.
Planting season
May 16, 2024
Planting of spring crops in Ukraine is almost completed: farmers have planted 90% of the projected areas (6.3 mln ha of oil crops and 5.1 mln ha of grain and leguminous crops).
Export
- As of May 17, Ukraine exported 44.214 mln tons of grains and pulses since the beginning of 2023/24 MY, of which 2.856 mln tonnes were shipped in April. 67% — agricultural products.
- Ukraine remains a top exporter of agricultural products and a guarantor of food security. 38 countries of the world received more than 30 mln tons of products of Ukrainian farmers.
- Ukraine reached pre-full-scale war export levels in April.
- Processing of grain cargoes in ports increased by 60% compared to April 2023.
- In the first half of May, Ukrzaliznytsia transported over 1.6 mln tons of grain for export.
In terms of crops, since the beginning of the current season, the following were exported (as of May 17):
- wheat – 16.613 mln tons (835 K tons in May);
- barley – 2.329 mln tons (127 K tons);
- rye – 1.3 K tons (0.1 K tons);
- corn – 24.788 mln tons (1.888 mln tons).
