Zelenskyy accuses Israel of facilitating stolen grain trade

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Israel on Tuesday of facilitating the trade of grain stolen by Russia from occupied Ukrainian territories, as a vessel carrying such cargo idled near the port of Haifa.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy stated that another ship loaded with the grain was preparing to unload, declaring, "This is not and cannot be legitimate business." He asserted that Russian forces have systematically seized grain from temporarily occupied Ukrainian land in southern regions and organized its export through individuals linked to the occupiers. Zelenskyy added that the Israeli authorities "cannot be unaware of which ships are arriving at the country's ports and what cargo they are carrying," claiming such transactions violate Israeli law.

The vessel in question, the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Panormitis, reached waters near Haifa on April 25 carrying more than 6,200 tonnes of wheat and 19,000 tonnes of barley, according to marine traffic monitoring services. Ukraine urged Israel not to allow it to dock or unload the cargo.

The incident follows a pattern. Earlier this month, the Russian bulk carrier Abinsk unloaded nearly 44,000 tonnes of wheat at Haifa...