Ukraine Strongly Protests Israeli Handling of Russian-Captured Grain Shipments

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sibiga announced last night that he has summoned Israeli Ambassador to Kyiv, Michael Brodsky, for a meeting on Tuesday to address the presence of Russian ships carrying stolen Ukrainian grain in Israel. Sibiga expressed serious concerns on his social media account, criticizing Tel Aviv for engaging in illegal Russian trade with grain that has been appropriated from Ukraine. The diplomat emphasized that Ukraine and Israel maintain a friendship that should benefit both nations, and he urged that illegal trade involving stolen grain should not jeopardize this relationship. He underscored his bewilderment at Israel's lack of response to Ukraine's legitimate requests regarding a vessel that had delivered stolen goods to the port of Haifa. As another cargo ship recently arrived in Haifa, Sibiga issued a warning against Israel accepting stolen grain, emphasizing the potential damage to diplomatic relations between the two countries. Tensions are escalating between Ukraine and Israel following Kyiv's efforts to prevent a vessel potentially carrying stolen grain from regions occupied by Russia from docking at Haifa, located about 90 kilometers north of Tel Aviv. Responding to these developments, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar called for restraint, suggesting that Kyiv should refrain from taking diplomatic disputes to social media and the press. Saar contended that no evidence had been presented to substantiate the claims of Ukraine and pointed out that Kyiv had not formally requested legal assistance before publicizing their concerns. He reassured that the situation would be investigated, noting that Israel is governed by the rule of law with independent law enforcement agencies overseeing these matters. Sources from Euronews in Kyiv have indicated that Ukrainian officials are warning of potential diplomatic fallout should Israel fail to reject the recent cargo of allegedly stolen grain. Despite ongoing conflicts, Israel continues to maintain direct channels with the Kremlin, a strategy influenced by Israel’s geopolitical concerns, including its relationships with Russian authorities due to their support of the Syrian regime and the fact that a substantial number of Russian Jews reside in Israel. This has prompted Israel to adopt a neutral stance amid the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian conflict. The vessel at the center of the controversy, named Panormitis, is flying the Panamanian flag and is reported to be carrying over 6,200 tons of wheat and approximately 19,000 tons of barley. Investigations led by Ukrainian journalist Kateryna Yaresko from the SeaKrime project suggest that the ship was loaded with grain sourced from occupied Ukrainian territories and departed from the port of Kavkaz in the Russian region of Krasnodar. A notable portion of the cargo is believed to originate from Berdyansk, a city on the coast of the Sea of Azov currently under occupation. Ukrainian authorities are closely monitoring the ship’s movements and are not inclined to let the situation pass unnoticed. A diplomatic source in Ukraine shared with Axios that Israel has largely disregarded Kyiv's previous demands concerning another vessel that had unloaded allegedly stolen wheat in Haifa. The source described this attitude as a slap in the face, especially given Ukraine's strategic goodwill shown towards Israel, including its naming of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization and efforts to combat anti-Semitism. Euronews reached out to the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment but had not received any response by the time of publication. Previously, in early April, the Russian bulk carrier Abinsk delivered nearly 44,000 tons of allegedly stolen Ukrainian wheat to Israel, inciting strong diplomatic reactions from Kyiv. Ukrainian officials had previously warned Israeli authorities about the potential origins of cargo arriving from occupied territories, thus raising further questions about Israeli compliance in handling these sensitive trade issues. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2