Israel rejects Ukraine's claim that Russian shadow fleet vessel docked in Haifa
Ukraine alleges the vessel unloaded wheat taken from occupied territories in Haifa, while Israel says ship had not entered the port.
Responding to Ukrainian accusations, on Tuesday, Israel denied that it had allowed a ship carrying stolen grain from Russian-occupied territory to enter its ports as a dispute between the two countries escalated.
Ukrainian officials and an open-source monitoring group claimed that the Russian vessel ABINSK had transported grain taken from occupied Ukrainian territory and unloaded it at Israel’s port of Haifa between April 12 and April 14.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the ship had not entered the port and that Kyiv had not formally requested legal assistance or provided evidence. Ukraine maintains that it raised concerns in advance with Israeli authorities and summoned Israel’s ambassador, and was assured that the matter would be addressed.
“The director general of our ministry spoke earlier today with the Israeli Tax Authority, which has begun examining the matter,” Saar said, adding that Kyiv had not submitted a formal request for legal assistance or provided evidence for its claims, made on X. He expressed astonishment over the accusations, pointing to Israel’s support for Ukraine over the past four years in international forums and through humanitarian aid.
Grain row deepens
The spat first surfaced on April 15, when the Kyiv-based SeaKrime project, which tracks maritime activity using open sources, said the Russian vessel ABINSK had departed Haifa for Turkey after unloading a cargo of wheat linked to occupied Ukrainian territory. The group said the ship had arrived in Haifa three days earlier with 43,000 tons of wheat, and noted there was no official Israeli confirmation of the vessel’s cargo or activity.
A day later, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry said it had been closely monitoring the ship’s movements and had raised the matter with Israeli counterparts in advance. In a statement, it said Kyiv had informed Israel as early as March 23 about the ABINSK and the possible origin of its cargo from “temporarily occupied territories,” adding that “assurances were received regarding an appropriate response.”
Despite that exchange, the ministry said the vessel appeared to have been allowed to unload in Haifa between April 12 and April 14. It also said it had since submitted a request for international legal assistance to Israel.
On Sunday, Haaretz published an investigative report on Russian-linked vessels, forcing Israel to publicly address the issue. According to the report, the ABINSK was not the first Russian ship to dock in Haifa with wheat originating from Ukraine. It stated that at least two similar vessels had arrived in Israel in 2023, roughly a year after Russia’s February 2022 invasion, and that several other shipments of Ukrainian grain had reportedly been unloaded in Israel over the past four years.
Citing unnamed Ukrainian sources, Haaretz reported that four cargo shipments linked to Ukrainian grain had reached Israel since the start of 2026. One of them — the Panormitis — was said to be awaiting permission to enter Haifa's port on Sunday. Saar’s comments appeared to refer to that vessel, which was still waiting to dock at the time of his press conference.
Following the report, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Israel on X of allowing allegedly stolen Ukrainian grain into its ports, warning that Kyiv was preparing sanctions against those involved in the trade. “Israeli authorities cannot be unaware of which ships are arriving … and what cargo they are carrying,” he said. Zelenskyy added that Ukraine was preparing a sanctions package targeting both those directly transporting the grain and individuals “attempting to profit from this criminal scheme,” and said Kyiv would coordinate with European partners to expand sanctions.
Europe tightens grip
In parallel, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha summoned Israel’s ambassador in Kyiv, Michael Brodsky, over what Ukraine described as Israeli inaction in preventing grain shipments from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories from entering the country. Israel’s Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the content of the meeting in Kyiv when contacted by Al-Monitor.
The dispute comes amid intensified European efforts to target Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, the vessels used to circumvent EU sanctions on Moscow. On Tuesday, the European Union expanded its sanctions list by adding 46 ships, bringing the total designated vessels to 632. The measures prohibit listed ships from docking in EU ports or receiving maritime services in European waters.
While Israel is not part of the EU sanctions regime against Russia, Israeli officials have told Al-Monitor that the country generally respects EU financial sanctions against Moscow.
The EU warned Israel on Tuesday that it could face sanctions if found to be involved in or facilitating the trade of Ukrainian grain stolen by Russia from occupied territories. A European Commission source told Euronews, “We condemn all actions that help fund Russia’s illegal war effort and circumvent EU sanctions, and remain ready to target such actions by listing individuals and entities in third countries if necessary,” and added that the commission had raised the issue with the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
Israel’s relations with Ukraine have been shaped by broader geopolitical constraints since Russia’s 2022 invasion, including the presence of Russian forces in Syria at the time. While Israel has provided humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, including the establishment of a field hospital, it has stopped short of supplying weapons, citing concerns of provoking Moscow.
Still, in January 2025, the United States transferred Patriot air defense systems to Ukraine with Israel’s approval. Over the course of the war, Israel has backed most UN resolutions condemning Russia, while abstaining on some votes.
