Ukraine Charges Russian Deputy PM Dmitry Patrushev with War Crimes Over Massive Grain Theft
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), in coordination with the Prosecutor General’s Office, has officially charged Dmitry Patrushev, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, in absentia for his central role in orchestrating the large-scale theft of Ukrainian grain from occupied territories since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
According to the investigation, more than 4 million tons of Ukrainian grain—valued at over 23 billion hryvnias (roughly $570 million)—were illegally seized and transported to Russia under Patrushev’s direct supervision. The theft occurred across occupied areas of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions and was facilitated through Russian state structures and logistical networks. The looted grain was then resold abroad—primarily in the Middle East and North Africa—disguised as Russian exports via the Kremlin’s so-called “shadow fleet.”
Dmitry Patrushev, formerly Russia’s Minister of Agriculture, is the son of Nikolai Patrushev, a longtime Kremlin power broker often referred to as Russia’s “gray cardinal.” The elder Patrushev, who headed the FSB and later served as Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, now works as an aide to Vladimir Putin. He is widely believed to have used his influence to secure his son’s rise to high-level government positions.
The Ukrainian government says the grain looting operation was not a spontaneous act of battlefield opportunism but a systematic economic war crime designed to rob Ukraine of its agricultural wealth and reroute profits into Russia’s wartime economy. The scheme relied on coordinated actions by Russian troops, occupying administrations, and state-owned enterprises under the authority of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture.
The case against Patrushev has been filed under Part 2 of Article 28 and Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which relate to war crimes committed by a group of persons in prior conspiracy. Ukrainian officials emphasized that such acts of plunder are in clear violation of international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions.
While Patrushev remains on Russian territory and is therefore beyond the immediate reach of Ukrainian law enforcement, the SBU stated that comprehensive legal and diplomatic measures are underway to pursue international accountability.
The case represents one of the highest-profile war crimes charges yet brought against a sitting Russian government official involved in the economic exploitation of occupied Ukrainian land. It also underscores the degree to which Russia’s leadership is personally implicated in the systematic looting of Ukraine—not only through military violence but also through state-organized theft of resources vital to Ukraine’s economy and global food security.
