Ukraine Seizes Russian Ship Smuggling Grain From Crimea

Ukrainian State Border Guards Service, Security Service, and Naval Forces of the Armed Forces have seized a ship in the Black Sea suspected of illegally exporting Ukrainian grain from Russian-occupied Crimea.

The State Border Guard Service said the operation had involved its maritime security division, along with officers from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Ukrainian Navy.

According to officials, the vessel had previously delivered approximately 5,000 tons of Ukrainian wheat from the port of Sevastopol in late 2024.

The grain originated from areas of southern Ukraine currently under Russian occupation.

To conceal the cargo’s origin, the ship sailed under the flag of an Asian country.

This tactic is typical of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which is used to facilitate the unauthorized export of Ukrainian commodities.

During a search on the vessel, Ukrainian authorities seized navigation systems, documents, and other evidence of illegal transport.

“The ship has been impounded and the crew has been transferred for procedural actions. A pre-trial investigation is underway,” Ukrainian law enforcement officials said.

Russia has been accused of appropriating Ukrainian grain since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. It later seized ports on the Sea of Azov, including Mariupol and Berdyansk, and targeted grain infrastructure across southern Ukraine.

Russian forces have occupied grain storage facilities, elevators, and ships, and transported Ukrainian grain to Russia for sale on international markets.

Ukrainian officials say these actions violate international law and infringe on Ukraine’s sovereignty over its own resources.

In 2024, Ukraine detained the Usko Mfu, a vessel that had entered Ukrainian waters after a visit to occupied Sevastopol via the Danube River.