Ukraine has seized a foreign cargo ship on the Danube River and detained its captain on suspicion of helping Moscow export Ukrainian grain from Russian-occupied Crimea, authorities said on Thursday.
Since the outbreak of the war in 2022, Kyiv has accused Russia of trafficking in Ukrainian smuggling grain. Still, ship seizures are rare, and shipping sources said they feared possible retaliation at a critical time of the year when Ukrainian grain exports peak.
Prosecutors said the Cameroon-flagged USKO MFU ship received an arrest warrant and was detained. Along with the Azerbaijani captain after entering the waters of Rene, a Ukrainian port on the Danube, which borders Romania. Ihor Ponochovny, head of the Ukrainian prosecutor’s office in Crimea, told Ukrainian television. Officials were surprised to see the ship on the Danube because ships involved in illegal grain transport from Russian-controlled areas tend to stay away from Ukrainian waters.
He added that Ukraine had arrested 21 vessels involved in this trade since 2022 in absentia.
He added that “(the seizure) should send a clear signal to those countries that helped Russia evade sanctions and sell stolen agricultural products in the occupied territories that they could be held accountable.”
Ukraine’s security service, the SBU, said the ship had stopped several times at the Crimean port of Sevastopol. Between 2023 and 2024 to collect agricultural products.
What Official Said on Smuggling Grains:
An official at Turkish ship management company Iyem Asia told Reuters. That the ship’s current cargo was being loaded in Moldova. “The ship, although owned by us, has never loaded any cargo from the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory and has never used Ukrainian ports,” the official said.
“As the ship sailed across the Danube, Ukrainian soldiers boarded the ship in the presence of a Romanian pilot. They forcibly installed it on their side of the river. “Our lawyers are pursuing the case. ”
Russian troops have occupied large swathes of agricultural areas in southern Ukraine. Kyiv has accused Russia of stealing and destroying grain.
Ukrainian security services said the captain and 12 crew members helped Russia export Ukrainian grain. From the occupied south to the Middle East and sold it on Russia’s behalf.
Ukrainian security services said: “The investigation is ongoing to determine all the circumstances of the crime and identify other people involved in illegal activities. “The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office said that the USKO MFU loaded more than 3,000 tonnes of agricultural products in Sevastopol on a November 2023 sailing destined for a Turkish company.
Impact on Global Food Security
On Thursday, LSEG ship-tracking data showed the vessel last reported its position on July 8, when it was anchored near the Danube port of Reni. Ukrainian security services said the captain could face up to five years in prison for violating travel restrictions in Ukraine’s Russian-occupied territories.
The Danube is vital for Ukraine’s exports to the Black Sea, which resumed without Russian approval last summer after Moscow abandoned an UN-brokered deal that would have allowed Kyiv to sell grain during the war.
When asked if Ukraine’s policy had changed, a law enforcement source said Thursday: “This is our policy. This ship and the captain are working for the occupiers and now it has entered Ukrainian-controlled waters.”
The war in Ukraine has significantly disrupted global food supplies, particularly wheat and corn exports. Ukraine is a major agricultural producer, and the ongoing conflict has caused food price spikes worldwide. Disruptions to Ukrainian grain exports. Whether through conflict or alleged smuggling, it threatens to exacerbate food insecurity in vulnerable regions around the globe.
The international community will be watching closely how this situation unfolds. Meanwhile, Ukraine seeks to deter further Russian grain theft and associated smuggling activities. Ensuring the smooth flow of its grain exports remains crucial for global food security.
