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Ukraine Seizes Foreign Cargo Ship Tied to Russia’s Shadow Fleet in Odesa

The detention signals a drive to disrupt illicit grain exports from occupied Crimea.

Overview

  • SBU officers detained the vessel at Odesa’s commercial port after it arrived under an African flag to load steel pipes.
  • Investigators say the sanctioned owner repeatedly renamed the ship and shifted nominal beneficiaries to third countries to evade restrictions.
  • Voyage plans, navigation charts, and radio communication logs were seized, documenting calls to ports in occupied territory.
  • The ship docked in Sevastopol at least seven times before 2022, including a January 2021 trip carrying nearly 7,000 tonnes of grain to North Africa.
  • Criminal proceedings were opened under four articles, and the vessel was arrested for possible transfer to the Asset Recovery and Management Agency.