I think that was the manmade famine aka The Holodomor, compliments of Joe Stalin. Meant to punish and eliminate the UkrainianKulaks who opposed the collectivization (or Socialist) policies.
The USSR followed the example of England’s starvation of the Irish during the so called Potato famine.
England forcibly increased exports of meat and cheese from Ireland to England and raised tariffs on corn and wheat.
https://www.history.com/topics/immigration/irish-potato-famine