Ukraine gets grain from Russia

Russia is sending grain supplies to Ukraine, which is in the grip of food shortages and spiralling prices.

At least 200,000 tonnes of grain will be supplied, said a Kremlin statement.

Ukraine's summer heatwave has compounded winter problems

Ukraine, known in communist days as the bread-basket of the Soviet Union, is struggling to overcome the twin effects of a harsh winter and scorching summer.

Russian President Vladimir Putin telephoned Ukrainian leader Leonid Kuchma to promise help with the "difficult" food situation.

Prices of staple foods like flour, grain and pasta have risen by up to 150% in the past few weeks.

Householders have been queueing to buy what supplies they can to store for the winter.

The crisis has already prompted the government to urge people not to panic-buy.

Agriculture ministry officials have insisted that the country, which consumers around seven million tonnes of grain a year, has enough food reserves to stabilize the situation.

Estimates suggest that Ukraine's harvest of wheat will fall from 11 million tonnes in 2002 to around three million this year.