Russia Allegedly Smuggles Stolen Ukrainian Grain From Crimea to Houthi-Controlled Port

Russia is reportedly supplying grain, possibly stolen from Ukraine, to the Houthi rebels controlling most of Yemen. This conclusion is based on an investigation conducted by Bellingcat and Lloyd’s List journalists.

The cargo vessel Zafar is central to the investigation. According to the publication, it made at least two trips from the temporarily occupied Crimea to Yemen in recent months.

In October, grain was loaded onto the ship in the port of Sevastopol, Crimea. In mid-November, Zafar arrived at the port of As-Salif in western Yemen, after stopping at the port of Djibouti in Africa.

All vessels carrying goods to ports controlled by the Houthis are required to make a stop in Djibouti for inspection by the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen (UNVIM).

The investigators stated that UNVIM did not respond to inquiries regarding whether the Zafar was inspected while in Djibouti, nor did the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

However, satellite imagery and ship tracking data revealed that the Zafar was docked in Djibouti in early November, after spending several days at anchor.

Earlier this year, Zafar made the same journey, as reported by Bellingcat and Lloyd’s List at the time. Experts told both outlets that the approval of grain shipments from occupied Sevastopol by UNVIM—despite unclear details and being outside its mandate—created a challenging situation for the UN, especially given that most member nations have consistently voted against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Previously, on October 8, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal reported that Russia had exported more than 180,000 tons of stolen Ukrainian grain through the port of Mariupol this year.

The Wall Street Journal mentioned in an article released on September 16 that since 2022, Russia and its allies have sold stolen grain from occupied Ukrainian territories worth nearly one billion dollars.