Ukrainian Embassy in Israel demands laboratory testing for soil markers in grain from Russian vessel Abinsk – media
The Ukrainian Embassy in Tel Aviv has filed an official complaint with Israeli police against Zenziper and Dizengoff Trading, which are accused of importing wheat stolen by Russia from the temporarily occupied territories of eastern Ukraine, United24 has reported.
According to documents from the diplomatic mission, Dizengoff received 43,800 tonnes of grain, around 16,500 tonnes of which is believed to be stolen wheat unloaded at the port of Haifa on April 12 from the vessel Abinsk. The scheme allegedly involved loading grain at the ports of Berdiansk and Sevastopol onto the vessels Leonid Pastrikov and Fedor, followed by transshipment onto a large bulk carrier near the Kavkaz anchorage. The maritime smuggling operation is coordinated by Russian supplier Strategic Grain Management, headquartered in Dubai.
Ukraine is demanding laboratory analysis of samples to detect soil markers characteristic of eastern Ukraine, as well as the seizure of shipping documents to uncover the network of fraudulent operations.
In response to the allegations, Dizengoff Trading said it had suspended future orders of Russian wheat, although it denies violating international standards. Meanwhile, Zenziper refused to unload another suspicious vessel, Panormitis, which subsequently left the Israeli coast.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has already issued an official protest over what it described as the insufficient response of the Israeli authorities to the arrival of Russian vessels carrying stolen cargo. At the same time, Kyiv is holding consultations with the European Union on imposing sanctions against companies in third countries that facilitate trade in agricultural products from occupied territories in violation of international law.
