A Russian merchant ship loaded with grain stolen in Ukraine has been turned away from at least one Mediterranean port and is now in the Syrian port of Latakia, according to maritime sources and Ukrainian officials.
THE CNN identified the ship as the bulk carrier Matros Pozynich.
On 27 April, the ship docked off the coast of Crimea and turned off its transponder. The next day, she was seen in the port of Sevastopol, Crimea’s main port, according to photographs and satellite images.
The Matros Pozynich is one of three ships involved in the trade in stolen grain, according to open source research and Ukrainian officials.
Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, produces little wheat due to lack of irrigation. But the northern Ukrainian regions, occupied by Russian forces since early March, produce millions of tonnes of grain every year. Ukrainian officials say thousands of tonnes are being transported to Crimea.
Kateryna Yaresko, a journalist for the SeaKrime project of the Ukrainian online publication Myrotvorets, told CNN that the project has noticed a sharp increase in grain exports from Sevastopol – to around 100,000 tonnes in March and April.
From Sevastopol, according to satellite imagery and tracking data reviewed by the CNN , the Matros Pozynich transited the Bosphorus and headed for the Egyptian port of Alexandria. It was loaded with nearly 30,000 tonnes of (Ukrainian) wheat, according to Ukrainian officials.
But the Ukrainians were one step ahead. Officials say Egypt was warned that the grain was stolen; the shipment was refused. The Pozynich headed towards the Lebanese capital, Beirut, with the same result.
Matros Pozynich turned off its transponder again on May 5, but images from Tankertrackers.com and Maxar Technologies show it traveled to the Syrian port of Latakia.
The Syrian regime has a close relationship with Russia and the Russian military is often in Latakia. Matros Pozynich is named after a Russian soldier killed in Syria in 2015.
Mikhail Voytenko, editor-in-chief of the Maritime Bulletin, told CNN that the grain could be reloaded on another ship in Latakia to disguise its origins. “When the port of destination starts to change for no serious reason, this is further evidence of smuggling,” she said.
In its first comments on the illicit export of Ukrainian grain, the Defense Ministry’s Intelligence Directorate said on Tuesday that “a significant part of the grain stolen from Ukraine is on ships sailing under the Russian flag in Mediterranean waters.”
“The most likely destination for the cargo is Syria. The grain can be smuggled from there to other Middle Eastern countries,” she said.
Shipping data shows that Matros Pozynich is one of three bulk carriers registered for a company called Crane Marine Contractor, based in Astrakhan, Russia. The company is not under international sanctions.
The efforts of CNN to reach the company were not successful.
Yaresko says the SeaKrime project identified the true owners of the three ships as one of 29 companies under the umbrella of a large Russian corporation, whose other entities were sanctioned by the United States shortly after the Russian invasion.
More grain thefts
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry estimates that at least 400,000 tonnes of grain have been stolen and taken from Ukraine since the invasion of Russia.
Mykola Solsky, Ukraine’s Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food, said this week that “it is sent in an organized manner in the direction of Crimea. This is a huge business that is overseen by people at the highest level.”
THE CNN reported last week that trucks bearing Crimean plates stole 1,500 tonnes of grain from storage units in Kherson. In Zaporizhzhia, trucks bearing the white “Z” symbol of the Russian military were seen transporting grain to Crimea after the city’s main grain elevator was completely emptied.
This week, Ukrainian authorities reported more grain thefts by the occupying forces. The Intelligence Directorate said that in a part of Zaporizhzhia, stored grain and sunflower seeds were being prepared for transport to Russia.
A column of Russian trucks carrying grain has left the town of Enerhodar – also in Zaporizhzhia – under Russian military guard, the Directorate said.
While Russian ships are apparently capable of transporting Ukrainian grain across the high seas, Ukrainian farmers are finding it much more difficult to export their products. Much of this would normally be shipped out of Odessa.
While still in Ukrainian hands, Odessa has been the target of frequent missile attacks and much of the Black Sea is off-limits to merchant shipping.
Ukrainian shippers diverted some grain via rail to Romania, such as CNN reported last week. But it is hardly a solution to what is becoming a supply crisis that is already affecting world markets.
Samantha Power, administrator of USAID, tweeted this week: “Putin’s war is wreaking havoc on the food supply; Ukraine is the 4th world exporter of maize and the 5th exporter of wheat.”
Ukraine and Russia typically supply around 30% of the world’s wheat exports, much of which goes to the world’s poorest countries. Global food prices hit a record in March, according to the United Nations, driven largely by the war in Ukraine.
Drought in the wheat-growing areas of France and Canada is threatening to exacerbate an already tight supply situation.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that “without our agricultural exports, dozens of countries in different parts of the world are already on the brink of food shortages.”
On the same day, European Council President Charles Michel was in Odessa with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shymal, watching the massive amounts of grain stored in the port.
He tweeted photos, saying: “I saw silos full of grain, wheat and corn ready for export. This much-needed food is held back because of the Russian war and the blockade of Black Sea ports. Causing dramatic consequences for vulnerable countries.”
Trading Economics noted Wednesday that “wheat prices are 31% higher than before the Russian invasion as disrupted exports from the Black Sea have significantly reduced world supply.”
As for the Russians, they seem ready to adapt to the new realities of world markets.
The Russian Grain Union has a conference scheduled for June. One of the sessions, according to the union’s Instagram account, is: “Sanctions restrictions – how the grain industry is adapting to the new reality and why the state is reacting to a change in the situation with unprecedented speed.”
*with input from Josh Pennington and Paul P. Murphy of CNN
Source: CNN Brasil
I am Sophia william, author of World Stock Market. I have a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and I have worked as a reporter for several news websites. I have a passion for writing and informing people about the latest news and events happening in the world. I strive to be accurate and unbiased in my reporting, and I hope to provide readers with valuable information that they can use to make informed decisions.
