The Ukrainian Agri Council has officially appealed to the Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, Oleksii Soboliev, with a call to support agricultural producers who are suffering colossal losses as a result of hostilities, and to initiate an appeal to the European Commission regarding the provision of donor assistance.

The UAC emphasizes that constant Russian attacks put the survival of farmers at risk, especially in frontline territories.

"The constant increase in the intensity of Russian attacks leads to an increase in the number of cases of damaged drones and missiles, their debris, or interceptors falling onto fields with their subsequent detonation or ignition. This causes fires and the destruction of crops," the appeal stresses.

In addition, the situation is complicated by the deliberate "hunting" of enemy drones for agricultural machinery with the aim of destroying it. This factor is most acute precisely now, on the eve of and during the harvest, when fires lead to the burning of large areas of agricultural crops.

The UAC emphasizes that without state and international support, many enterprises face the threat of bankruptcy, since they will not be able to repay current loans and finance further operations.

Moreover, there is a serious risk of a financial blockade of the frontline regions.

"If nothing is changed, banks will stop lending to farmers first in the 50-kilometer zone from the line of combat contact, and then, if the war continues, this distance will keep growing, turning an ever-larger part of the country into an economic desert," the UAC notes.

As an effective way out of the crisis, it is proposed to develop a mechanism for compensation for destroyed crops and machinery at the expense of the state budget, as well as to attract funds from international donors, primarily the European Union.

"We ask you to initiate an appeal to the European Commission with a request to provide donor assistance to Ukraine to compensate farmers for the above-mentioned losses, as well as to provide for a corresponding program in the State Budget of Ukraine," the appeal concludes.