(PatriotsUnited.org) – Ukrainian authorities have seized a foreign cargo ship in the Black Sea near Odesa and detained its captain, accusing the vessel of aiding the export of grain allegedly looted from Russian-occupied Crimea. This action marks a rare but significant escalation in the ongoing conflict. Since the 2022 invasion, Ukraine has accused Russia of appropriating its grain, but seizures of ships have been infrequent. Concerns about potential retaliation are heightened, especially as Ukraine’s grain exports peak annually.
The vessel, flagged under Cameroon and identified as USKO MFU, had reportedly made multiple stops at the Crimean port of Sevastopol to load agricultural products over the past two years. Ukraine claims the shipments have been “looted”. An official from the vessel’s Turkey-based ship management company, Iyem Asya, disputed the claims that the shop was under their ownership and did not transport cargo from Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine and said their cargo was currently loaded in Moldova. Reports indicate that Ukrainian soldiers boarded the ship while it was navigating the Danube River with a Romanian pilot on board and forcibly anchored it on the Russian-controlled side.
Russian forces have occupied significant portions of Ukraine’s southern agricultural regions since the early days of the invasion. Kyiv has repeatedly accused Moscow of not only stealing its grain but also of destroying it. Authorities allege that the captain and 12 crew members helped Russia transport Ukrainian grain from occupied territories to the Middle East for sale.
In a notable voyage in November 2023, the USKO MFU allegedly loaded over 3,000 metric tons of agricultural products in Sevastopol, destined for a Turkish company. The ship last reported its position on July 8, anchored near Ukraine’s Reni port along the Danube River.
Upon entering Ukrainian-controlled waters at Reni, the vessel was detained and presented with an arrest order. The captain, identified as a citizen from a South Caucasus country, could face up to five years in prison for violating travel restrictions related to Ukraine’s Russian-occupied territories. The Odesa region is a critical hub for Ukraine’s Black Sea exports, which have continued despite the termination of a UN-brokered deal last summer that had allowed Kyiv to export food amidst the conflict. This incident mirrors previous maritime detentions by Ukrainian authorities, including the 2022 detention of a vessel carrying Ukrainian wheat, and the 2015 arrest of a Turkish-owned cargo ship for visiting Crimea.
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