Huge numbers of Russian farmers face bankruptcy, with many choosing to dump grain in fields rather than harvest it, online reports suggest. Former Ukrainian official Anton Gerashchenko posted on Monday: “Every fifth farmer is on the brink of bankruptcy.”
He continued: “Due to record low prices, it’s more profitable to throw away part of the harvest than to harvest it. Grain is just poured on the ground. If the situation doesn’t change, tens of thousands of farms could disappear. And a reduction in the number of producers inevitably means rising food prices.” Video clips shared with the post show idle machinery and piles of grain left on the soil.
Fuel shortages and logistics bottlenecks
The claims reflect a severe squeeze on Russian agriculture. Ukrainian long-range drone strikes have disabled a substantial share of the country’s oil refining capacity, creating acute diesel shortages across the main grain regions at the peak of harvest.
In southern areas such as Krasnodar, Rostov and Stavropol, fuel prices have more than doubled in places and supplies are rationed or delayed for weeks. Small and medium-sized farms, which produce most of Russia's grain, are hardest hit.
At the same time, logistical bottlenecks in the Azov and Black Sea have driven domestic wheat prices below production costs in many districts. Offers as low as 11,000–12,000 rubles a tonne leave farmers unable to cover rising expenses for fuel, fertiliser, parts and high-interest loans.
Loss-making enterprises climb above 30%
Ukrainian intelligence and independent analysts report that the share of loss-making agricultural enterprises has already climbed above 30%. Profits in crop and livestock farming have fallen sharply and average profitability in the Rostov region has turned negative. Industry voices warn that further closures would shrink production capacity and push up food prices for Russian consumers.
The Kremlin continues to insist that fuel stocks are adequate and the harvest remains on track. Yet regional authorities have imposed purchase limits, petrol and jet-fuel export bans remain in force, and some farmers report travelling long distances to obtain diesel at inflated prices.
Fighting continues
The agricultural pressure coincides with continued fighting. Russian forces dropped eight powerful glide bombs on residential districts of Zaporizhzhia on Sunday evening, killing a 71-year-old woman and wounding 31 people, including a 16-year-old girl.
Ukrainian drones struck a Wildberries warehouse east of Moscow, the Saratov oil refinery and fuel storage sites, adding further strain to Russia’s energy and logistics networks.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine's long-range drone campaign is intended to force Moscow towards a settlement this autumn by hitting economic targets deep inside Russia.
