Grain war: Ukraine to pursue Russian 'ghost fleet' involved in illegal exports from occupied ports
Ukraine will intensify actions against the so-called “ghost fleet” used by Russia for the illegal transportation of grain from the occupied territories, as well as against the entities involved in this activity, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sîbiha announced in a message published on the X platform.
Russia's ghost fleet Photo: archive, the truth
The Ukrainian official claimed, citing recent data, that only in the period from January to April this year, 25 ships would have made about 50 trips from Ukrainian ports closed from temporarily occupied areas to third countries, with the main purpose of transporting grain.
According to Sîbiha, during this period more than 850,000 tons of grain were exported from the occupied territories of Ukraine. More than half of this volume would have been loaded from the port of Sevastopol, and other significant quantities from Mariupol and Berdiansk, ports on the Sea of Azov.
The Ukrainian minister said authorities in Kiev have detailed information about the vessels involved, their companies and owners, accusing Russia of trying to hide the origin of the goods by turning off transponders, falsifying coordinates and transfers between ships.
“We see how Russia is trying to evade responsibility. We will not let this go unnoticed.” the head of Ukrainian diplomacy conveyed.
Sîbiha specified that the problem of closed seaports in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov was constantly raised by Ukraine within the International Maritime Organization (IMO). He recalled a resolution adopted in December 2023, which requires member states to discourage violations of the regime of these ports and to investigate possible violations.
The official also made a reference to the Holodomor, the devastating Soviet-era famine, underscoring Ukraine's historical sensitivity to grain theft.
“Our nation has suffered genocide through famine. We are warning all entities that we will react strongly to any theft of our grain,” he declared.
The minister also announced that Ukraine will work with international partners to impose new sanctions in the EU, G7 and other jurisdictions against those involved in the transport and trade of stolen grain.
The Ukrainian General Prosecutor's Office sent documents to Israel regarding the request to arrest a Russian ship suspected of illegally transporting grain.
