FRONTLINE and The Associated Press’ 2022 digital video, “How Russia is Smuggling Ukrainian Grain to Pay for Putin’s War,” was named the winner of an Online Journalism Award (OJA) during this week’s virtual awards ceremony. 

The joint project was recognized with an OJA in the “Digital Video Storytelling, Medium Form” category. According to the ONA’s website, this award “honors strong and innovative work in telling stories through digital video, including animation.”

The short video revealed the extent of a sophisticated Russian-run smuggling operation that used falsified manifests and seaborne subterfuge to steal Ukrainian grain worth at least $530 million — cash that then helped feed President Vladimir Putin’s war machine.

In the video, FRONTLINE and AP followed the trail of 1.2 million metric tons of wheat, corn and soybeans seized from farms and silos in occupied areas of Ukraine and carried by truck and train to Russian-controlled ports in Crimea. The grain was then loaded onto bulk cargo ships owned by corporations controlled by Russia and Syria whose crews turned off their radio transponders in an attempt to conceal their locations.

The investigation tracked more than 55 shiploads of grain to ports in the Middle East, where it was sold through brokers to companies that processed it into flour and packaged foods.

The OJA-winning project is part of a larger editorial collaboration between FRONTLINE and AP examining the war in Ukraine. It also includes co-published digital reporting and documentaries that paint a broader picture of Russia’s actions in the region.

According to the ONA website, this year’s OJA winners will be honored during a banquet and ceremony on Aug. 26 in Philadelphia.

Read a list of 2023 OJA winners here, and explore FRONTLINE and AP’s award-winning storytelling below: