Ukraine expects Israel to seize grain it says Russia stole from occupied territories
on Google
Ukraine expects Israel to arrest a shipment of grain unloaded at the Port of Haifa from a vessel Kyiv believes is part of Russia's shadow fleet used to export grain taken from occupied territories, the Foreign Ministry said on April 16.
The statement follows the arrival of the Russian bulk carrier Abinsk in Haifa carrying nearly 44,000 tons of wheat that Ukrainian investigators say originated from occupied areas.
Kyiv has accused Moscow of seizing millions of tons of Ukrainian grain since the start of the full-scale invasion and exporting it to global markets via opaque shipping networks.
Ukraine said it informed Israeli authorities in advance about the vessel and warned that import operations involving such cargo would be "unacceptable." The Foreign Ministry added that it had received assurances of an appropriate response.
"It is concerning that, despite the information provided and the contacts between the parties, the vessel was permitted to unload at the port of Haifa on April 12–14," the ministry said.
Based on materials from Ukraine's Prosecutor General's Office, including a Ukrainian court order to seize the vessel and its cargo, Kyiv submitted a request for international legal assistance to Israel.
"Ukraine's Foreign Ministry expects the Israeli side to... seize the aforementioned shipment of grain, in order to prevent similar situations in the future," the statement added.
Ukraine's Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko also reportedly met Israeli Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky on April 14 to request legal assistance.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar later told his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha that it was too late to intervene, as the vessel had already departed Haifa and could no longer be stopped, despite Israeli authorities being aware of its arrival roughly two weeks in advance.
Ukrainian-Israeli relations during Russia's full-scale war have remained complex.
While both countries view Iran as a threat, Israel has avoided providing direct military aid to Kyiv, seeking to preserve its ties with Moscow despite Russia's cooperation with Tehran.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has also excluded Israel from his recent Middle East tour aimed at strengthening security cooperation with regional partners amid Iranian aerial attacks.
