Ukraine Seizes Cargo Ship Accused of Transporting Grain from Crimea
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reports that it has seized another cargo ship that it accuses of having transported grain from Crimea since the beginning of the Russian occupation. Ukraine has in the past seized several ships on similar allegations and, with a court order, seeks to sell the ships, while it has also moved to prosecute the masters of the vessels, resulting in fines for their actions.
The latest seizure took place in recent days in the port complex of Greater Odesa. The SBU is not providing too many details, saying only that the vessel is currently flagged in an African country, while Ukraine asserts it is Russian-controlled. The ship had a crew of sixteen people from the Middle East.
They allege that the ship has repeatedly undergone changes in its name and flag. It was currently in Odesa to export a batch of steel pipes.
The SBU asserts the vessel made multiple trips to Sevastopol during the Russian occupation and before the start of the current war. It says there were at least seven trips to export agricultural products for Russia’s benefit. In January 2021, they assert the vessel exported almost 7,000 tons of grain from Crimea to North Africa.
The SBU’s forces boarded the vessel and conducted a search during which they said they found trip plans, pilot cards, cartographic materials, and radio communication logs. Ukraine asserts these documents provide evidence of the entries into the ports of occupied Crimea.
Ukrainian forces searched the vessel and seized documents related to its movements (SBU)
Ukraine reports that it had previously sanctioned the vessel for its actions. The West has also sanctioned the ports of Crimea, which remain closed to most commercial traffic since the occupation began in 2014.
Lloyd’s is identifying the vessel as the Gladius (7,900 dwt) registered in Guinea-Bissau. Most databases, however, identify the vessel under what may be a prior name of Aminah Star, operated by a company in Romania. It was built in 1992, with Equasis showing name changes in 2007, 2019, 2021, and 2023. It was registered in Russia in 2019, but since 2021, it has been reported to be operating under the flag of Palau.
The vessel has been seized as part of the ongoing investigation. It will be turned over to ARMA (the asset recovery operation of Ukraine). ARMA works with the courts to determine the future of the vessels. During the summer, ARMA moved to organize the sale of the Usko MFU (2,850 dwt), which it detained in 2024, and Anka, a 5,100 dwt cargo ship that it impounded in April. ARMA also said it had completed the sale of a small Russian tanker that was involved in a military incident near the Kerch Strait Bridge in 2018.
Last month, Ukraine identified a total of 56 vessels that between 2022 and 2025 had entered the closed ports and exported food products. This includes Sevastopol and Feodosia, where Ukraine reports Russia has exported thousands of tons of wheat, sunflower seeds, and other food items. The vessels were added to Ukraine’s sanctions.