'We will sow' — Odesa farmers defiant in face of relentless Russian assaults
ODESA OBLAST — Volodymyr Varbanets sinks his hands into a mound of wheat, letting the golden kernels slip between his fingers. This year brought an unusually good harvest, the best since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, he says. Behind him, hundreds of metric tons of wheat, barley, lentils, and peas fill the farm's warehouses. "But we cannot sell it," he sighs. For more than 20…
Volodymyr Varbanets, a 76-year-old farmer in Odesa Oblast, Ukraine, is struggling to sell his 2026 wheat harvest, which is the best since Russia's full-scale invasion. He and his team have been unable to transport the 206 hectares of land he cultivates, as the ports of Odesa have become unsafe for commercial shipping due to intensified Russian assaults on the area.
The ports remain technically open, but the number of ships arriving has dropped significantly, leaving the grain stored in the farm's warehouse unsold. Farmers are now forced to work at a loss, as buyers are offering prices far below the previous rates and their operating costs continue to rise. Ukraine's alternative routes for grain export are limited, and Varbanets' harvest could remain unsold for up to a year, requiring constant movement to maintain its quality.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
