Ukraine seeking compensation for grain spilled in Poland

MOSCOW. Feb 28 (Interfax) - Those responsible for spilling Ukrainian grain from railcars and trucks in Poland will have to compensate for the losses, Ukrainian media cited Ukrainian First Deputy Agrarian Policy and Food Minister Taras Vysotsky as saying during the national telethon.

"Damaging private property is definitely a violation of the law," Vysotsky said.

Ukraine has received confirmation that Polish law enforcement agencies opened investigations into all incidents when Ukrainian agricultural products were destroyed, he said.

Those who caused this damage should pay compensation, Vysotsky said. Naturally, this can be done only through court proceedings or voluntarily.

"And we are speaking about court proceedings [...] We expect these cases to be sent to courts and to be heard by courts as soon as possible. We expect justice and confirmation of the need for full compensation for the losses by those who caused them," Vysotsky said, adding that "this is normal practice in law-abiding and democratic states."

As reported, eight wagons were opened at Poland's Kotomierz railway station overnight into Sunday, February 25, resulting in the loss of 160 tonnes of Ukrainian grain being transported via Poland to the Gdansk port to be subsequently shipped to other countries. That was the fourth such instance of vandalism at Polish railway stations.

Earlier, also after February 20, protesting Polish farmers blocked a railroad near the Medyka crossing on the border with Ukraine and opened a railway carriage to let grain spill out. Unknown persons later spilled rapeseed, en route to Germany, from three train trucks at the Dorohusk railway border crossing and damaged freight railcars transporting Ukrainians beans.