Ukraine Seizes Foreign Cargo Ship in Black Sea Amid Grain Theft Allegations

Ukraine's Security Service detained a foreign cargo ship and its captain in the Odesa region. The vessel, reportedly under an African flag, was accused of transporting looted Ukrainian grain from Crimean ports occupied by Russia. The captain and crew face charges for aiding Russia in grain export to the Middle East.

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has seized a foreign cargo ship off the coast of the Odesa region in the Black Sea, detaining the vessel's captain on suspicions of helping Moscow export Ukrainian grain from Russian-occupied Crimea.

The unidentified ship, under an African nation’s flag, has allegedly docked multiple times at Crimea's Sevastopol port during 2023-24 to collect and transport stolen agricultural products, according to the SBU.

The detained captain and 12 crew members are accused of aiding Russia’s grain exports to the Middle East. The ongoing investigation aims to uncover other parties involved in the illegal activities. The captain could face up to five years in prison for breaching travel restrictions in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.