Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service (FIS) has compiled a body of evidence implicating 39 bulk cargo vessels and identified 80 captains involved in the illicit export of agricultural products from territories temporarily occupied by Russian forces.
That’s according to a statement published on the FIS website, Ukrinform reports.
“Since the beginning of Russia’s occupation of Ukraine’s eastern and southern regions, Russian troops have engaged in looting and theft, while representatives of the occupation administration have seized businesses and exported industrial equipment and agricultural machinery,” the intelligence agency said.
Under the Kremlin’s supervision, a system has been established for the illegal export and sale of agricultural products cultivated in the temporarily occupied territories. This enables Russia to annually export approximately three million tonnes of grain from Ukraine, primarily to countries in Africa and the Middle East — notably Egypt and Syria. The FIS said that the former regime of Bashar al-Assad purchased about 40% of the grain taken from these occupied regions.
The FIS has gathered detailed evidence on 39 bulk carriers involved in these illicit operations. It has also identified more than 80 captains — most of them Russian nationals — who are responsible for operating the vessels.
According to the intelligence agency, each “grain fleet” captain plays a key role in the smuggling operations. They act as the crucial link between seller and buyer, possessing full knowledge of the cargo being transported. Holding them accountable is only a matter of time, the FIS said.
These captains knowingly violate international maritime regulations. They falsify route logs, compromise crew safety, and order the deactivation of AIS tracking systems while operating within the territorial waters and ports of the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine.
There are already precedents for sanctions being imposed on vessels and captains involved in these operations. In 2024, the EU Council sanctioned four bulk carriers — San Damian, San Cosmas, San Severus, and Yenisey — for participating in the illegal export of Ukrainian grain.
In April 2025, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Russian nationals Yuriy Belyakov and Vyacheslav Vidanov, who at various times captained the bulk carrier Zafar, which delivered 100,000 tonnes of wheat to Yemen.
2025-04-09 01:40:00 ,
