Russia uses occupied Luhansk Oblast to expand sunflower sowing

Russia plans to increase sunflower sowing areas to 10.9 million hectares this year, partly by expanding planting in occupied Luhansk Oblast.

Source: Russian analytical centre RUSEED

Details: Occupied Luhansk Oblast is among the regions where Russia expects one of the biggest increases in sunflower sowing in 2026. It plans to add 45,000 hectares there.

Other Russian regions where sowing is expected to expand include:

• Altai Krai: +66,000 hectares
• Republic of Tatarstan: +20,000 hectares
• Kurgan Oblast: +12,000 hectares
• Ulyanovsk Oblast: +10,000 hectares

The Russian analysts said the sunflower crop is no longer restricted to southern Russia, but is expanding eastwards and into what they call "the new territories".

Background: Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defence Council reported earlier that Belarus, alongside Russia, is actively involved in the illegal export of agricultural products from Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories, bypassing international sanctions.

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