Ukraine Accuses Israel of Importing Seized Russian Grain; Israel Denies, Investigates

Ukraine accused Israel on Tuesday of allowing the import of grain that Ukraine says Russia stole from occupied areas, according to @FortuneMagazine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that a vessel carrying the grain had arrived at an Israeli port and was preparing to unload. He called the trade illegal and warned of sanctions against those involved.

Zelenskyy wrote on X, “In any normal country, purchasing stolen goods is an act that entails legal liability,” adding that Ukraine’s intelligence services were preparing sanctions targeting companies and individuals profiting from the shipments. Zelenskyy also said Ukraine would coordinate with European partners to ensure that the relevant individuals are included in European sanctions regimes.

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Israel stated that the vessel had not entered the port and had not yet submitted its documents. Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced at a press conference in Jerusalem that the country’s tax authority had opened an investigation into a ship expected to dock at Haifa port.

Saar dismissed Zelenskyy’s comments as “Twitter diplomacy,” stating that Ukraine had not provided sufficient information or requested legal assistance.

Heorhii Tykhyi, spokesman for Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry, said Kyiv had informed Israeli authorities about the vessels in advance. Tykhyi added that more than two vessels had arrived in Israel carrying agricultural products Ukraine described as illegally taken by Russia from occupied Ukrainian land.

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry summoned Israel’s ambassador Michael Brodsky and handed him a note of protest over the continuing flow of such shipments.

The ministry stated that the origin of the grain had been established and that concealment methods, including ship-to-ship transfers in the Black Sea, were well known. The ministry further said the cargo continued to reach Israeli ports and enter commercial circulation. It accused Israel of failing to respond to formal requests to detain the vessels and cargo.