Ukraine urges Israel to detain Russian ship over 'stolen' grain cargo in Haifa
Kyiv says vessel carrying 43,000 tonnes of wheat from 'occupied territory' is part of Moscow’s war effort; Israel has not commented
Ukraine has called on Israel to detain a Russian cargo ship suspected of transporting grain taken from occupied Ukrainian territory, escalating diplomatic tensions over alleged wartime looting.
The vessel, identified as ABINSK, is reportedly carrying 43,765.18 tonnes of wheat believed to have originated in Russian-occupied regions of Ukraine, according to Ukrainian journalist Kateryna Yaresko and the SeaKrime monitoring project.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha raised the issue directly with Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, warning that the ship, which has docked at the Port of Haifa, is part of what Kyiv describes as Russia’s broader war effort. Sybiha called the export of “stolen agricultural products” illegal and urged Israel not to allow such shipments to proceed.
The request follows previous Ukrainian diplomatic discussions, including appeals from Ukraine’s ambassador in Israel and legal authorities in Kyiv, urging Israeli officials to block the vessel’s operations.
The dispute comes amid broader wartime developments, including Ukrainian claims of territorial gains achieved using drone and robotic operations, which President Volodymyr Zelensky said resulted in Russian troop surrenders without Ukrainian casualties.