[Istanbul, 5th Reuters]–Ukrainian prosecutors were involved in the transport in a letter to the Turkish Justice Ministry on June 13th, alleging that they were stealing grain from Russia’s occupied Ukrainian territory, such as Kherson Oblast. Requested an investigation of three suspected Russian ships. Reuters confirmed the contents of this letter and found out.
According to the letter, these three vessels departed Sevastopol, the main grain terminal on the Crimean Peninsula, in April and May and entered the Turkish port. The Ukrainian side is demanding that documents recording the shipment and arrival at the Turkish port be seized.
According to Equasis, a ship database, the three ships are owned by a subsidiary of the Russian state-owned company United Shipbuilding Corporation and are subject to western sanctions. The company has not responded to requests for comment.
The Russian government did not respond to the request for comment. An executive of the Russian-established government in Kherson explained that the grain in the region was headed to Crimea and that local farmers were responsible for the transportation there, and whether it was transported from there to Turkey or the Middle East. He said he didn’t know anything.
Reuters said in a letter dated June 30 that Ukraine had requested the Turkish Department of Justice to seize another Russian vessel that appears to have shipped grain from Berdyans’k, Ukraine. A senior Turkish government official said yesterday that he was shutting down the ship and investigating whether Ukraine’s claim was valid.
The Turkish Ministry of Justice declined to comment on the two letters, but reiterated a recent statement by the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Foreign Ministry said it was okay after investigating Ukraine’s allegations that Russia had stolen grain and brought it to Turkey.
