Ukraine formally requests Israel seize second ship carrying stolen grain

The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office has submitted a formal request for legal assistance to Israeli authorities based on a Ukrainian court order to seize the vessel. The ship is suspected of transporting agricultural products illegally exported from closed ports in occupied Ukraine, a violation of both international and Ukrainian law.

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko clarified that Ukraine is asking Israeli partners to arrest the vessel and its cargo, conduct a search, seize shipping documentation, take grain samples for testing, and interrogate the crew members.

"This is not Twitter diplomacy, but a very concrete legal and diplomatic request for international legal assistance that necessitates a response," Sybiha said. "We expect the Israeli side to take it seriously rather than responding with emotional statements."

According to investigators, more than 1.7 million tons of agricultural products—valued at over 20 billion hryvnias ($454 million)—have been illegally exported from occupied Ukrainian territories since the start of the full-scale invasion.

Kravchenko added that the era of "impunity for looting under foreign flags" has ended, noting that Ukraine is systematically identifying every violating vessel.

Background

Earlier, Kateryna Yaresko, a journalist with the SeaKrime project at the Myrotvorets Center, reported that the vessel ABINSK, carrying over 43,000 tons of wheat from temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, was accepted in the Israeli city of Haifa.

The ship was based in Kerch in occupied Crimea and departed on March 17, 2026. From March 23, the ABINSK waited for permission from Israel and was granted permission to enter the port of Haifa on April 12.

Later, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called his Israeli counterpart Gideon Sa’ar and stressed the unacceptability of such trade.

On April 25, Yaresko reported that another ship carrying grain from occupied Ukrainian territories was approaching Haifa. Axios journalist Barak Ravid, citing a senior Ukrainian diplomatic source, wrote that Ukraine had warned Israel of a possible crisis in relations if this vessel was also allowed to enter and unload in Haifa port. This was also confirmed by diplomatic sources to hromadske.

In response, Ukraine handed the Israeli ambassador a note of protest, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a package of sanctions is being prepared against those involved in schemes involving stolen Ukrainian grain.

In response to public criticism from Sybiha, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated: “Dear Minister, Diplomatic relations, especially between friendly nations, are not conducted on Twitter or in the media.”

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry responded that it had resorted to public appeals because Kyiv had not received an adequate response to the concerns it had raised with its Israeli counterparts.