Son of Putin's aide Paturshev suspected of stealing Ukrainian grain

Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Patrushev, son of Kremlin "gray cardinal" Nikolai Patrushev, was served in absentia with a notice of suspicion in Ukraine of massive grain theft from the temporarily occupied territories, reported Security Service of Ukraine.

Law enforcement officials claim that since 2022, under his coordination, more than 4 million tons of grain crops worth more than UAH 23 billion have been exported to Russia.

The investigation revealed that it was a large-scale looting of agricultural enterprises in the temporarily occupied territories of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. After the exportation, the enemy sold the grain with the help of a "shadow fleet" to the countries of the Middle East and North Africa under the guise of Russian goods.

According to the SBU, Patrushev-Strashey, who for 25 years headed first the FSB and then the Russian Security Council, lobbied for the appointment of his son as Minister of Agriculture and later as Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government.

To export Ukrainian grain, Dmytro Patrushev used his delegated powers as Minister of Agrarian Policy.

He was notified in absentia of suspicion of committing a war crime by prior conspiracy.

• As of September 2024, according to a preliminary estimate by the Prosecutor General's Office, Russia stole UAH 30 billion worth of Ukrainian grain.
• In April 2025, a ship that helped Russia export grain from Ukraine was arrested in the Black Sea. The crew was also detained.