We continue to monitor vessel Panormitis with grain from TOT, warn against cooperation with it - Sybiha
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha called the refusal of an Israeli company to accept grain from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine aboard the vessel Panormitis a positive step and stated that the Ukrainian side will continue to monitor this vessel.
"We continue to monitor this vessel and warn everyone against any cooperation with it. We will continue to increase sanctions pressure on the Russian ‘shadow fleet’ involved in the export of grain," Sybiha wrote on X on Thursday.
According to him, the refusal to unload the Panormitis in Israel "testifies to the effectiveness of Ukraine’s legal and diplomatic efforts". "At the same time, this is a clear signal to all other ships, captains, operators, insurers, and governments: do not buy stolen Ukrainian grain. Do not become accomplices in this crime," Sybiha emphasized.
As reported, the Israeli company Zintsipher refused to accept a shipment of wheat suspected of being stolen from Ukraine, and the grain carrier Panormitis subsequently left the port of Haifa for neutral waters. The company stated that the Russian supplier of the wheat cargo would be forced to find another location for unloading.
An investigation by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz showed that over the past three years, shipments of stolen Ukrainian wheat, disguised as wheat from Russia, have entered Israel. This is the first instance where a shipment of grain suspected of being stolen was rejected and not unloaded in Israel.
Prior to this, on Tuesday, April 28, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenary of the State of Israel to Ukraine Michael Brodsky was invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and handed a note of protest regarding the ongoing arrival in Israel of agricultural products illegally exported by Russia from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
