On April 28, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Israeli Ambassador Michael Brodsky to deliver a formal protest regarding the arrival of a vessel in Haifa carrying stolen Ukrainian grain. The ship, identified as Panormitis, is believed to be transporting wheat and barley taken from temporarily occupied territories by Russia.
Georgiy Tikhiy, a spokesperson for the ministry, confirmed that the origins of the grain have been established, and the methods of its concealment, including transshipment in the Black Sea, are well-known to Israeli authorities. Despite this knowledge, such shipments continue to reach Israeli ports and enter commercial circulation.
“It has been emphasized that the Israeli side’s disregard for Ukraine’s official requests for international legal assistance, including calls to detain the vessels and their cargo, effectively creates conditions for the legalization of stolen Ukrainian grain,” Tikhiy stated.
The ministry views these incidents as part of a broader pattern of complicity in illegal economic activities linked to the temporary occupation of Ukrainian territories and evasion of sanctions. Tikhiy pointed out that Ukraine is actively countering such activities by Russia across all regions, and this stance extends beyond Israel.
“The Ukrainian side also highlighted the unacceptable dissonance where, despite Ukraine’s support for Israel’s security and efforts against terrorist threats, including those related to Iran, Israel allows the import of stolen Ukrainian grain from the Russian Federation,” he added.
In light of these developments, Ukraine has urged Israel to take immediate action to halt the import of stolen grain and prevent its unloading at Israeli ports.
On the same day, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that Ukraine is preparing a sanctions package targeting those involved in the trafficking of stolen Ukrainian grain based on intelligence information.
Earlier reports indicated that the bulk carrier Panormitis had docked in Haifa with suspected cargo from occupied Ukrainian territories. Diplomatic sources revealed that Ukraine had warned Israel about potential deterioration in bilateral relations due to the vessel’s arrival.
Additionally, on April 28, Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially summoned the Israeli ambassador to present a protest regarding a second vessel carrying stolen Ukrainian grain that also arrived in Haifa.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar stated that the country is investigating the claims made in the inquiry and is maintaining diplomatic communication with Ukraine. Ukraine has also lodged a formal protest concerning the unloading of a Russian vessel in Haifa.
Previously, from April 12 to 14, the Russian bulk carrier Abinsk was unloaded in Haifa, carrying stolen Ukrainian grain. At that time, Ukraine had warned Israel about the possible origin of the grain on board and stressed the unacceptability of such operations.
Ukraine has also requested international legal assistance from Israel to seize this stolen grain shipment. According to Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, Russia systematically exports grain grown in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories and sells it on international markets as Russian exports.
To facilitate this, Russia utilizes the infrastructure of occupied ports in the Azov and Black Seas, primarily the Sevastopol port. Over 2 million tons of grain have been exported from occupied territories in Ukraine by Russia in 2025, with approximately 1.4 million tons exported in the second half of the year.
Ukraine has formally protested to Israel over the import of stolen grain from occupied territories, signaling escalating diplomatic tensions. The Ukrainian government is preparing sanctions against those involved in the trafficking of this grain, while urging Israel to take immediate action against such imports.