Latvia and Lithuania are tightening inspections of Russian grain shipments following intelligence that Russia intends to export approximately 1.5 million tonnes of illegally exported Ukrainian grain through Baltic ports. The measures include laboratory testing in France and the integration of Ukrainian special services into the verification process to identify stolen cargo.
The Baltic states are moving to block a suspected pipeline of misappropriated agricultural goods. According to reporting from LRT, Lithuanian Agriculture Minister Kęstutis Mažeika has ordered the State Food and Veterinary Service to inspect food grain of Russian origin transiting the country—a procedure that was not previously required.
The shift comes after Mažeika held a remote meeting with the Ukrainian minister. The minister reported that Ukrainian intelligence suggests Russia will attempt to move 1.5 million tonnes of grain through Latvia, with some of that cargo already present in Latvian ports and potentially moving through Lithuanian infrastructure.
Authorities in Lithuania have already begun taking samples from grain shipments at the port of Klaipėda. These samples are being sent to a laboratory in France to verify the origin of the cargo, a process expected to take two to three weeks, Reform.news reported.
The investigation focuses on whether grain declared as Russian actually originated in Ukraine and was transported through Russia’s Kaliningrad region. Aistė Prielgauskaitė, a spokeswoman for the State Food and Veterinary Service, highlighted the political sensitivity of the misappropriation.
“The issue is whether the Russian grain being presented is of Ukrainian origin. It might not be Russian as declared. It could be stolen.”
Aistė Prielgauskaitė, State Food and Veterinary Service spokeswoman, via LRT
Klaipėda port chief Algis Latakas confirmed that grain declared as Russian is being handled at the port, with approximately 47,000 tons processed in the first eight months of the year. Latakas noted that because these products are not currently subject to sanctions, authorities have had no legal basis to block them.
Latvian Integration of Ukrainian Special Services
Latvia is implementing a more aggressive verification framework. According to Inbox, the country will involve Ukrainian food security experts and special services in its inspections. This cooperation includes the use of Ukrainian databases, supply chain checks, and technical solutions for laboratory research.
To support these efforts, Kyiv and the United Kingdom have already established a system and database to verify grain origin. Latvian ministries now have one week to develop stricter documentation requirements for transit and transshipment batches, which may include additional declarations of origin.
The Latvian government is also coordinating a legal response. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with the ministries of justice, finance, and agriculture, is preparing proposals to restrict cargoes where there is reasonable suspicion the grain comes from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.
Economic Pressure and the Donatello Dispute
The influx of Russian grain is creating friction with local traders. Karolis Simas, president of the Lithuanian Association of Grain Processors and Traders, has urged the government to block the transit, claiming Russian exporters are offering grain at substantially lower prices. Simas warned that this puts Lithuanian traders at a competitive disadvantage and could damage the economies of both Lithuania and Latvia.
Specific shipments have already sparked conflict. While Minister Mažeika did not confirm reports regarding the Liberia-flagged vessel Donatello, he noted that samples were taken at the Bega terminal from grain arriving from Kaliningrad. However, a spokesman for Bega, Gediminas Gudavičius, denied the vessel was carrying Russian grain, asserting that the 38,000 tons of wheat loaded were of Lithuanian origin and supported by certificates.
Baltic Coordination Against “Aggressor States”
The response is evolving into a regional strategy. Latvia has begun exchanging information with Estonia and Lithuania to determine if a unified approach to restricting suspicious cargoes is possible. Riga also intends to bring the issue to the European Union level.
Transport Minister Juras Taminskas described the export of Russian grain through Lithuanian infrastructure as politically and morally unacceptable
while the war continues. He is consulting with Agriculture Minister Mažeika to find ways to prevent grain from aggressor states
from transiting the country.
While tightening controls on Russian shipments, Latvia has simultaneously expressed readiness to assist Ukraine in exporting legally produced grain through the ports of Liepaja, Ventspils, and Riga. The government has further ordered that Latvian agricultural products receive priority for railway and port infrastructure.
Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius and Minister Mažeika are scheduled to visit the Klaipėda port next Wednesday to assess the current situation and discuss further preventative measures.
