The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has detained a foreign cargo vessel in the port of Odesa that was part of Russia's shadow fleet and had illegally transported Ukrainian agricultural products from temporarily occupied Crimea.

Source : SSU press service

Details : The vessel's owner is under sanctions imposed by Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, and investigators said the ship's name and nominal beneficiaries in third countries were regularly changed to evade restrictions.

The bulk carrier arrived in Odesa under the flag of an African state to load a shipment of steel pipes. The SSU established that prior to the full-scale invasion, the vessel had entered the port of Sevastopol at least seven times, particularly in January 2021, when it transported almost 7,000 tonnes of grain from there to North Africa.

At the time of the detention, the captain and 16 crew members – citizens of several Middle Eastern countries – were on board. Law enforcement officers seized voyage plans, navigation charts and communication logs containing evidence of calls to ports in occupied territories.

Investigators have opened criminal cases on charges including financing actions against Ukraine's territorial integrity, treason, violations of transport regulations and unlawful entry to/exit from temporarily occupied territory. The vessel has been seized with a view to its potential transfer to Ukraine's Asset Recovery and Management Agency.

Background : The Russian occupation authorities have turned stolen Ukrainian grain into a global business, with 70 countries, particularly Egypt, Türkiye and Iran, currently purchasing it.

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