Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has called for systematic sanctions against Russia’s shadow grain fleet.
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy made the appeal in a post on the social network X.
Sybiha noted that in 2025 Russia stole more than 2 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain from Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories and supplied it to markets in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. To carry out this illegal trade, Russia used ports in the Azov and Black Seas and created a shadow grain fleet.
The foreign minister also pointed out that Ukrainian intelligence has already identified 45 vessels involved in the theft of Ukrainian grain and its transportation to global markets. Ukraine has imposed sanctions on 43 of them, as well as on 39 captains. In addition, companies involved in this illegal trade are being tracked.
“I urge our European partners to begin systematically countering this Russian crime and the threat to global food security that such actions represent. It is important to deploy all possible instruments, both national and international. We also expect more coordinated actions and efforts from the Frontex agency,” Sybiha stressed.
He emphasized that all Russian infrastructure involved in the theft of Ukrainian grain, as well as its buyers, should be placed under European sanctions as soon as possible.
“We already have experience in countering Russia’s shadow tanker fleet. Now it is time to stop the expansion of Russia’s shadow grain fleet as well. After all, this is not only a threat to global food security but also another source of funding for the Kremlin regime and its war machine,” the Ukrainian foreign minister said.
