Ukraine has asked Israel to detain a ship it says is carrying “stolen grain” from Russian-controlled areas, a move that has sparked diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said the ship, the Panoramitis, was en route to the port of Haifa, carrying grain, “some of which was loaded” from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. He stated that Kyiv has requested “the detention of the ship and its cargo, an inspection, the confiscation of its documents, the taking of samples of the grain, and the questioning of the crew.”
He added that the shipment was transferred from another vessel in what Kyiv considers illegal operations.
In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said the Ukrainian request was submitted late, noting that it is “under review by the relevant authorities,” and adding that his country has not received sufficient evidence to support the allegations.
Sa’ar accused Kyiv of engaging in “Twitter diplomacy,” referring to the dissemination of criticism via the platform before legal proceedings were completed. Ukraine has repeatedly protested grain exports from Russian-controlled territories since the start of the war in 2012, as well as from Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy threatened sanctions against those profiting from these shipments, while Kyiv summoned the Israeli ambassador to protest what it called inaction.
“We expect the Israeli side to take this matter seriously instead of responding with emotional statements,” said Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha.
Kravchenko noted that more than 1.7 million tons of agricultural products, worth over $453 million, have been illegally transported from the occupied territories since the start of the Russian invasion.
