Ukraine Intercepts Vessel Tied to Russia’s Covert Maritime Operations in Odesa Port

Ukrainian security forces have apprehended a cargo ship in the port of Odesa, which officials claim is part of Russia’s alleged «shadow fleet,» as reported by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on Wednesday.

The ship, whose identity has not been revealed, arrived under the flag of an African nation to pick up a shipment of steel pipes.

At the time of the vessel’s capture, the captain and 16 crew members, holding passports from unspecified Middle Eastern countries, were aboard.

The SBU asserts that the ship had unlawfully transported nearly 7,000 tons of Russian grain from annexed Crimea to North Africa back in January 2021.

According to the agency, the vessel made «at least seven» port calls to Sevastopol for similar activities just prior to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

During the investigation, authorities uncovered voyage plans, pilot charts, and additional documentation that the SBU claims support the vessel’s participation in «illegal operations in ports located in temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.»

Ukraine has initiated a criminal investigation on various charges, including financing actions aimed at undermining state authority or altering national borders, treason, transport-related infractions, and unlawful entry into occupied areas.

The SBU noted that the ship’s owner is subject to Ukrainian national security sanctions and frequently altered the vessel’s name and nominal foreign beneficiaries in a bid to circumvent these restrictions.

The confiscated ship will be handed over to Ukraine’s Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA), which is responsible for managing properties connected to corruption and other criminal activities.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine has indicated that the captain of the vessel has been officially informed of the suspicion regarding illegal entry to and exit from temporarily occupied regions.