Ukraine Confiscates Cargo Ship Transporting Wheat Results

UNSPLASH/Pavel ILLUSTRATION Neznanov

JAKARTA - Ukraine confiscated foreign cargo ships in the Black Sea outside the Odesa region and detained its captain on suspicion of helping Moscow export Ukrainian grains from Russia's occupied Crimea, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said.

The ship traveled with the flag of the central African country and repeatedly docked at the port of Sevastopol in Crimea to pick up agricultural products that were "studied" in 2023-2024, the SBU said.

Russian troops occupied large parts of the agricultural area in southern Ukraine in the first year of their invasion in 2022 and Kyiv accused Russia of stealing and destroying their grains.

SBU said the captain and 12 crew members helped Russia export Ukrainian seeds taken from the occupied southern region to the Middle East for sale on behalf of Russia.

"Investigations are ongoing to determine all the circumstances of the crime and identify other people involved in the illegal activity," said SBU.

The captain of the ship faces up to five years in prison for violating travel restrictions governing Russia's occupied Ukrainian territory, he said.

The Odesa region center played an important role in Ukraine's export of the Black Sea that had revived without Russian approval after Moscow withdrew from a UN-brokered agreement last summer that allowed Kyiv to export food during the war with Russia.

It is unclear when Ukraine last intercepted a ship even though they said Russia had been trading Ukrainian stolen wheat since the 2022 invasion began.

When asked if there was any change in Ukraine's policy, sources in law enforcement told Reuters, "This is our policy. This ship and its captain worked for the invaders and now it is entering Ukrainian-controlled waters, and we immediately reacted."