Ukraine's SBU has seized a ship accused of exporting grain from Crimea, detaining it in Odesa with ties to Russian control and Middle Eastern crew.
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has seized a cargo ship accused of exporting grain from occupied Crimea since the onset of the Russian occupation, according to Fort Lauderdale's Maritime Executive.
The vessel was detained in the Greater Odesa port complex in recent days. The SBU reported that the ship is flagged in an African country but is under Russian control, with sixteen crew members from the Middle East on board.
Officials allege that the ship has repeatedly changed its name and flag. It was in Odesa to load steel pipes. The SBU claims the vessel made at least seven trips to Sevastopol to export agricultural products, including 7,000 tons of grain to North Africa in January 2021.
Ukrainian forces boarded the vessel and discovered trip plans, pilot cards, maps, and radio logs. Authorities assert that these documents confirm entries into Crimea's closed ports.
Ukraine previously sanctioned the vessel, while Western sanctions have kept Crimean ports closed to most traffic since 2014. Lloyd's identified the ship as Gladius (7,900 dwt), registered in Guinea-Bissau, although databases list it as Aminah Star, operated by a Romanian company.
Built in 1992, the vessel has undergone several name changes. It was registered in Russia in 2019 and later reported under Palau's flag. The ship will be handed over to ARMA, Ukraine's asset recovery agency, which collaborates with courts to determine its fate.
ARMA has previously sold other seized vessels, including Usko MFU and Anka, as well as a small Russian tanker linked to a 2018 incident in the Kerch Strait. Last month, Ukraine identified 56 vessels that entered closed Crimean ports between 2022 and 2025 to export food products, adding them to sanctions.
