Russia Accused of Stealing 100,000 Tons of Ukrainian Wheat, Sent to Syria

BEIRUT – Russia has sent its ally Syria about 100,000 tonnes of grain stolen from Ukraine since invading the country.

The accusation was made by the Ukrainian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, which described the shipment as “criminal activity”.

In a statement to Reuters, the Ukrainian embassy said the shipment included one aboard the Matros Pozynich, a Russian-flagged ship that docked at Syria’s main sea port of Latakia in late May.

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Data from Refinitiv shows Matros Pozynich loading grain at the Crimea port of Sevastopol which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. The ship’s departure date is May 19 and the delivery location is referred to as Syria.

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This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC on May 29 shows the same ship docked at Latakia.

The Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon, citing Ukrainian law enforcement, accused the grain aboard the Matros Pozynich of having been “stolen” from Ukrainian storage facilities in areas recently occupied by Russian troops.

Russia’s Defense Ministry and Syria’s Ministry of Information did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Reuters. Russia has previously denied allegations of stealing grain from Ukraine.

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