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Bellingcat Exposes Saudi Grain Imports Linked to Sanctioned Port in Russian Occupied Crimea
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Saudi Arabia has begun importing grain shipped directly from a Western-sanctioned Crimean port under Russian occupation, according to Bellingcat on December 12.
Bellingcat stated that satellite imagery and AIS data indicated the bulk carrier Krasnodar sailed from the Avlita grain terminal in Sevastopol to Saudi Arabia twice between September and November 2025, with the voyages concluding at King Abdullah Port in September and the port of Jazan in November.
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The investigation stated that the ship repeatedly stopped transmitting its AIS signal for extended periods around the times it was observed at the Crimean terminal, and that in both voyages, it appeared to be fully laden when transiting the Bosphorus before heading south.
The Russian grain company Petrokhleb-Kuban, which Bellingcat said leases the vessel, told Bellingcat it “categorically denies any allegations of involvement in the theft of grain from Ukrainian regions,” and said it does not operate at Avlita or export grain from there.
Bellingcat said it reviewed nearby-vessel AIS traces and satellite imagery around the port of Kavkaz during the relevant gaps and found no vessel matching Krasnodar’s profile, and reported that Saudi Arabia has joined other destinations that Ukraine says have accepted “stolen” grain from occupied territory.
Bellingcat said the Port of Sevastopol and the Avlita grain terminal remain under European, UK and US sanctions, and that it sought comment from the Saudi and Russian foreign ministries without receiving a response.
The US Treasury has previously listed the State Enterprise Sevastopol Sea Trading Port—also referenced as the Port of Sevastopol—under Crimea-related sanctions.
Earlier, it was reported that Russia has built a shadow fleet of over 1,240 tankers to bypass sanctions and continue exporting oil, with many vessels aging, lacking insurance, and operating under foreign or no flags.
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