Ukraine charges Russian ship captain over 54,000 tonnes of allegedly stolen grain

Ukraine has charged the captain of a Russian cargo ship in absentia over the alleged transportation of more than 54,000 tonnes of grain seized from occupied Ukrainian territory, in what prosecutors describe as a landmark step towards treating the theft of agricultural produce as a war crime.

The Prosecutor General’s Office and Ukraine’s Security Service said on October 19 that the captain of the Matros Pozynich had been charged with violating rules governing entry to and exit from occupied territory, with intent to harm Ukraine’s interests, and breaching the laws and customs of war.

Investigators allege that the vessel made two shipments in 2022 and 2023 after Russian forces seized grain from Ukrainian farmers in Crimea. Each shipment carried approximately 27,000 tonnes from the occupied port of Sevastopol to Latakia in Syria.

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Acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalskyi said the case established a legal framework for classifying a captain’s involvement in transporting grain illegally seized from occupied territory as a war crime.

Ukraine’s Security Service said the captain had acted on orders from senior Russian officials, alleging that the shipments breached provisions of the Geneva Convention prohibiting the looting of property in occupied territories.

The case comes as Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian ports continue to threaten the country’s agricultural export trade. Ukraine’s agriculture ministry has warned that around 32mn tonnes of agricultural products, worth approximately $10bn, are at risk.

Kyiv has sought to expand alternative export routes through the Danube, railways and roads, but officials say these cannot fully replace maritime shipments.

On October 14, Agriculture Minister Taras Vysotskyi told Turkey’s ambassador to Ukraine, Fatma Ceren Yazgan, that without stable Black Sea shipping, agricultural production could begin to decline over the longer term.

The prosecution marks a new legal effort by Kyiv to hold those involved in the alleged removal of Ukrainian grain accountable, while highlighting the strategic importance of restoring secure maritime trade.