Criminal scheme: 87 ships are listed as carriers of stolen Ukrainian grain – the ambassador

87 Russian and Syrian vessels are involved in a criminal scheme to export stolen Ukrainian grain, said Ambassador of Ukraine to Lebanon Ihor Ostash.

According to this scheme, stolen Ukrainian grain is constantly transported through Turkey or directly to Syria or other countries in the Middle East.

87 vessels are on the list of sea transport that export stolen grain from Ukraine. The Ukrainian embassy received information that the Syrian-flagged ship Laodecia ship is on this list. This is the ship that was transporting stolen grain and flour from the occupied Crimea, but thanks to the efforts of Ukrainian diplomats, it was detained in Lebanon.

The ambassador of Ukraine believes that this decision is a victory for Ukraine because dealers were not allowed to do business in Lebanon on goods stolen from Ukraine.

"As we concluded, this ship, which was planning to do big business in Lebanon, followed the path of a Russian warship from Lebanon to Tartus," he said.

Ostash explained that Ukraine tried to accuse many ships of transporting stolen goods, but there was no evidence. Instead, evidence that the flour was ground at the Krasnohvardiiskyy elevator in Crimea helped to prove that the goods on board the Laodecia were stolen from Ukraine.

"Our opponents felt that we grabbed them by the hand. There was an immediate reaction: the Syrian authorities and the Russians, who did everything possible, including using Lebanese politicians who are their proxies. The decision was immediately made to send this vessel. But I would like to say that it was our great victory that we did not allow this ship to unload in Lebanon," said Ihor Ostash.