Ukraine arrests two suspected of helping Russia sell stolen grain from occupied Mariupol
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has detained two employees of an agricultural certification company in Odesa on suspicion of helping Russia disguise the origin of nearly 8,000 metric tons of Ukrainian wheat stolen from occupied Mariupol and shipped to the Middle East.
The wheat, valued at more than 60 million hryvnias, was allegedly sold using falsified documents identifying it as Russian grain, the SBU said on October 19.
According to investigators, Russian forces loaded 7,857 metric tons of wheat onto the sanctioned vessel Alfa M at the occupied port of Mariupol in 2024.
The ship transported the cargo to Temryuk, a Russian port in Krasnodar Krai, where documents were prepared falsely identifying the wheat as Russian, the SBU said.
The grain was subsequently shipped to an unidentified Middle Eastern country for sale through a local exporting company.
To conceal its origin, Russian representatives allegedly approached an Odesa branch of a foreign company specializing in agricultural product certification.
The branch director and the head of its laboratory knew the wheat had been taken from occupied Ukrainian territory but arranged a fictitious laboratory assessment and issued a report falsely identifying its origin as Russia, according to investigators.
The SBU said searches of the suspects' homes and company offices uncovered electronic devices, documents and allegedly falsified laboratory reports.
Both suspects have been charged with aiding an aggressor state as part of a conspiracy and remanded in custody. They face up to 12 years in prison and confiscation of property if convicted.
The SBU did not identify the certification company or the Middle Eastern country where the wheat was shipped.