UK to help Ukraine track grain stolen by Russia from occupied territories

The United Kingdom has developed a database to track and prevent grain theft from Ukrainian regions occupied by Russia and will deliver it to Ukraine in the coming weeks.

The UK government emphasises that Ukraine, a key supplier of agricultural products, plays a vital role in global food security.

"The database will be handed over to Ukraine from the Environment Secretary in the coming weeks," the statement said.

The government explained that the database was created "using cutting edge science to help determine where grain has been grown and harvested".

This initiative came after Ukraine appealed to the G7 countries for help in tracking stolen grain from Ukrainian fields under Russian control, which is then rebranded and sold to third countries.

The new grain tracking system is set to be launched as part of a 100-year partnership agreement between Ukraine and the United Kingdom, which is expected to be signed during UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Kyiv, which began on Thursday, 16 January.

Media reports earlier indicated that the visit would also include discussions on the potential deployment of international peacekeeping forces in Ukraine after the war with Russia.