Ukraine Seizes Russian “Shadow Fleet” Ship Smuggling Stolen Grain From Crimea

Ukrainian authorities have seized a foreign cargo ship suspected of transporting 5,000 tons of stolen Ukrainian grain from Russian-occupied Crimea, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on April 25.

The dry cargo vessel — part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” — was intercepted in Ukraine’s internal waters in the Black Sea during a joint operation by the SBU, the State Border Guard Service, and the Ukrainian Navy.

According to investigators, the vessel had covertly loaded wheat in late 2024 at the port of Sevastopol — located in occupied Crimea — before attempting to disguise its identity by sailing under the flag of an undisclosed Asian country.

The ship was allegedly used by Russia to export looted grain to third countries, in violation of international law and Ukrainian sovereignty.

“This is one of the vessels the Kremlin relies on to move stolen Ukrainian agricultural products to global markets,” the SBU stated. “It’s part of a broader illegal logistics network designed to mask the origin of looted goods.”

During a search of the vessel, authorities discovered documents, navigation equipment, and other physical evidence corroborating the theft and illegal export of Ukrainian grain.

The ship and its crew have been taken into custody.

Earlier, Estonian authorities detained the tanker Kiwala, part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” after discovering dozens of serious safety violations and determining the vessel was operating without a valid national flag.

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