[caveat emptor]

Those heavily Russian and mostly Russian areas are the heavy industry and coal mining areas. The rest live on welfare and potatoes.

Duh. You gotta be kidding. Maybe not. Ever hear of the Bread Basket of Europe?

The rich dark soil and the vast fields of wheat and other food products have earned Ukraine the nickname "bread basket of Europe."

According to the CIA World Factbook, Ukraine produced 25% of all agricultural output in the former Soviet Union. Today, Ukraine exports substantial amounts of grain, vegetables, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, milk and meat.

Exports (including non-food exports) go to Russia, 20%; the countries of the European Union, 17%; China, 7%; Turkey, 6%; and the U.S. 4%.

In addition, food processing, especially sugar processing, is an important industrial segment. Nearly one out of four workers in Ukraine is employed in agriculture or forestry related endeavors.

[SeeSharp]

Ever hear of the Bread Basket of Europe?

LOL. No one but historians call it that now. It hasn't been true since before the "revolution".

Yushenko banned the export of grain during his term of office because food prices were so high. Of course, this ruined the farmers, but socialists don't care about that sort of thing.