KYIV: Kyiv on Thursday seized a foreign cargo ship and arrested its captain, alleging that the vessel illegally transported Ukrainian grain from Crimea, which Russia annexed.
Since Russia took control of significant agricultural lands in Ukraine in early 2022, Kyiv has accused Moscow of unlawfully harvesting and exporting grain from the occupied territory to third countries.
The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office confirmed the seizure of the vessel in the Odesa region, which had previously shipped agricultural products through the Crimean port of Sevastopol, a crucial military base for Russia in the Black Sea.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) also reported detaining the ship’s captain, citing violations related to entering occupied territory.
