Ukraine, EU prepare sanctions on Russia’s shadow grain fleet
Photo: Heorhii Tykhyi, Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (Vitalii Nosach / RBC-Ukraine)
Everyone linked to Russia's shadow grain fleet should be sanctioned. Ukraine and the EU will step up action in this area, says Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi during a briefing.
He noted that while recent attention has focused on the shadow fleet transporting energy resources and Russian oil, there is also a shadow grain fleet.
"You can see the sophisticated schemes they use, including ship-to-ship transfers in the Black Sea. We believe that all companies, their owners, captains—everything connected to these vessels involved in trading stolen grain—must also be sanctioned," the MFA spokesperson stressed.
Tykhyi added that there will be more international action in this area, not limited to Israel, which has been purchasing grain stolen from temporarily occupied territories.
He emphasized that "Ukraine is already acting as part of the European Union," noting that Ukrainian foreign policy is 99% aligned with that of the EU.
"So when Ukraine has concerns about sanctions evasion by Russia or any illegal trade, we certainly coordinate these actions with the European side," Tykhyi said.
The MFA spokesperson added that Ukraine will intensify coordination and synchronization with the EU to jointly counter "illegal, unlawful trade conducted by Russia involving stolen Ukrainian grain."
Grain scandal
Last week, the first vessel carrying a shipment of grain illegally exported by Russia from occupied Ukrainian territories arrived at the port of Haifa, Israel. Despite official warnings from Kyiv, Israeli authorities allowed the cargo to be unloaded.
This week, a second ship carrying stolen Ukrainian grain was detected in Israel, prompting Ukraine to once again urge the country's authorities to block the illegal cargo.
Following these incidents, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry summoned Israeli Ambassador Michael Brodsky for explanations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that, in response to Israel's actions, Ukraine has begun preparing a new sanctions package.
According to Tykhyi, Russia supplies stolen grain not only to Israel but also to countries in Africa and other regions.
