Shipping sources and Ukrainian officials told CNN that “a Russian merchant ship loaded with stolen grain from Ukraine has left at least one port in the Mediterranean Sea and is now in the Syrian port of Latakia.” “
CNN introduced the ship as Matros Pozinich’s tanker.
On April 27, the ship docked off the coast of Crimea and turned off the transmitter. The next day, according to satellite photos and images, the main port of Crimea was seen in Sevastopol.
Matros Pozinich, one of three ships involved in the grain trade, has been abducted, according to an open source investigation by Ukrainian officials.
Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014, produces little wheat due to a shortage of irrigation water. But areas of northern Ukraine occupied by Russian forces since early March produce millions of tons of grain a year. Ukrainian officials say thousands are now being transported by truck to Crimea.
“The project saw a sharp increase in grain exports from Sevastopol to about 100,000 tonnes in March and April,” Katrina Yarsko, a journalist with the SeaKrime project, told the Ukrainian newspaper Myrotvorets.
From Sevastopol, Matros Bozenic crossed the Bosphorus and reached the Egyptian port of Alexandria, based on satellite images and tracking data reviewed by CNN. According to Ukrainian officials, about 30,000 tons of Ukrainian wheat have been loaded.
But the Ukrainians were one step ahead. Authorities said Egypt had received warnings that grain had been stolen and that the shipment had been returned. The tanker left for the Lebanese capital Beirut, but met with the same result.
Matros Bozinic turned off the transmitter again on May 5, but photos from Tankertrackers.com and Maxar Technologies show the transmitter traveled to the Syrian port of Latakia.
The Syrian regime often has close ties to Russia and the Russian army in Latakia. In fact, “Matros Pozinich” is the name of a Russian soldier who was killed in Syria in 2015.
Mikhail Vovitenko, editor of the Maritime Bulletin, told Cyanan that the grain could be loaded on another ship in Latakia to hide its origin.
He added: “When the port of entry changes without a serious reason, this is another proof of smuggling.”
The Russian Defense Ministry’s intelligence service said in its first statement on the illegal export of Ukrainian grain on Tuesday that a significant portion of the grain stolen from Ukraine was on Russian-flagged ships sailing in Mediterranean waters. ”
“Syria is the most likely destination for this shipment. Cereals can be smuggled from there to other countries in the Middle East,” he added.
Transportation data show that Matros Pozynich is one of three registered tankers of a company called Crane Marine Contractor based in Astrakhan, Russia. The company is not subject to international sanctions.
CNN tried to get feedback from the company, but received no response.
Source: Lebanon Debate
