A Russian cargo ship carrying grain that Ukraine says is stolen has been detained by Turkish customs authorities, Ukraine’s ambassador to Turkey said on Sunday.
"We have full cooperation. The ship is currently standing at the entrance to the port, it has been detained by the customs authorities of Turkey," Ambassador Vasyl Bodnar said on Ukrainian national television.
Bodnar said an investigators' meeting would decide the ship's fate on Monday.
Ukraine was reported on Friday to have requested that Turkey detain and arrest the Russian-flagged cargo ship Zhibek Zholy carrying a cargo of Ukrainian grain from the Russian-occupied port of Berdyansk, according to a Ukrainian official and a document seen by Reuters.
The Ukrainian foreign ministry official, citing information received from the country’s maritime administration, said the 7,146 dwt Zhibek Zholy had loaded the first cargo of some 4,500 tons of grain from Berdyansk, which the official said belonged to Ukraine.
Bodnar said in early June that Turkish buyers were among those receiving grain that Russia had stolen from Ukraine, adding he had sought Turkey’s help to identify and capture individuals responsible for the alleged shipments.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said two weeks ago that Ankara was investigating allegations that Ukrainian grain has been stolen by Russia and will not allow any such grain to be brought to the country.
Çavuşoğlu appeared to deny Ukraine’s claims of stolen grain shipments arriving in Turkey, saying Ankara had not yet seen any such cases and it had notified Kyiv of every investigation’s outcome.
In a letter dated June 30 to the Turkish Justice Ministry, Ukraine’s prosecutor general’s office states that the Zhibek Zholy was involved in the "illegal export of Ukrainian grain" from Berdyansk and headed to Karasu, Turkey with 7,000 tons of cargo, which is a bigger load than cited by the official.
The Ukrainian prosecutor general’s office asked Turkey to "conduct an inspection of this sea vessel, seize samples of grain for forensic examination, demand information on the location of such grain," the letter said, adding that Ukraine was ready to conduct a joint investigation with Turkish authorities.
A Russian-installed official in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region said on Thursday that after a stoppage of several months, the first cargo ship had left Berdyansk port without naming the Zhibek Zholy.
Ukraine has accused Russia of stealing grain from the territories that Russian forces have seized since its invasion began in late February. The Kremlin has denied that Russia has stolen any Ukrainian grain.
Kazakh-based KTZ Express confirmed to Reuters the Zhibek Zholy was owned by the company but said it was taken under a bare boat charter – when no crew or supplies are involved in the lease – by a Russian company Green-Line, which was not designated under any sanctions.
KTZ Express added that it was consulting the parties involved and would abide by all sanctions and restrictions.
The Ukrainian foreign ministry official added that the vessel was heading for the Turkish port of Karasu.
The vessel reported its position at anchor close to Karasu port, Refinitiv ship tracking data showed on Friday. The data shows it crossing the Black Sea from near Crimea. It did not list Berdyansk as its destination on Friday – but tracking data relies on transponders updating their positions.
Earlier this month, Russia’s defense minister said the Ukrainian ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol, controlled by Russian forces, were ready to resume grain shipments.
Western countries have accused Russia of creating the risk of global famine by stopping Ukraine from exporting grain via its Black Sea ports. Moscow denies responsibility for the international food crisis, blaming Western sanctions.