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Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has seized a cargo ship accused of exporting grain from occupied Crimea since the start of the Russian occupation, reported Fort Lauderdale's Maritime Executive.
The vessel was detained in Greater Odesa port complex in recent days. The SBU said the ship is flagged in an African country but under Russian control. Sixteen crew members from the Middle East were on board.
Officials allege 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 found trip plans, pilot cards, maps and radio logs. Authorities say 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, though 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 to ARMA, Ukraine's asset recovery agency, which works with courts to decide its fate.
ARMA has already sold other seized vessels, including Usko MFU and Anka, and a small Russian tanker linked to a 2018 Kerch Strait incident. Last month, Ukraine identified 56 vessels that entered closed Crimean ports between 2022 and 2025 to export food products, adding them to sanctions.
https://www.shippingazette.com/news?news_id=9251200000668
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