russia is preparing strikes on food industry facilities, both Ukrainian and foreign-owned enterprises in Ukraine, a source in the Defence Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine (HUR) told Ukrinform.
Key points:
- possible targets include grain elevators and storage infrastructure, vegetable oil plants, dairy and butter plants, meat processing plants and poultry farms;
- the aim is to hit food security, damage the economy and reduce foreign currency revenues to the budget;
- the strikes are also intended to help increase russia’s share of agricultural exports to Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Dairy plants also at risk
According to the source, the russians plan to attack facilities for storing and processing agricultural crops, including grain elevators and storage infrastructure, sunflower and other vegetable oil production facilities, as well as dairy and butter plants, meat processing plants, poultry farms and other food industry enterprises.
«russia’s goal is to destabilise the situation in Ukraine by striking at food security and through a subsequent information campaign to demoralise society, to inflict significant damage on our country’s economy and to reduce foreign currency revenues to the Ukrainian budget», the source said.
According to the source, moscow’s plan to damage Ukraine’s food industry is also aimed at increasing the share of russian agricultural exports, in particular to Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
Context
As of July, russia had carried out more than 167,000 attacks on civilian targets in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion.
According to HUR, russian army units have been ordered to step up drone strikes on civilian infrastructure and vehicles in frontline and border areas.
Source: Ukrinform
