In Odesa, news broke about the detention of a foreign vessel allegedly part of a shadow fleet operating in favor of Russia. The ship was transporting Ukrainian agricultural products from occupied Crimea, frequently changing its name and beneficiaries to evade sanctions.

This information was disclosed by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on December 10.

Sanction Status of the Vessel
The SBU discovered that the owner of the detained vessel was under sanctions imposed by the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC). To obscure his activities, he repeatedly changed the ship's name and fictitious beneficiaries from third countries. The bulk carrier entered Odesa port under the flag of an African state to load steel pipes, but inspections revealed its previous operations benefited Russia.

Illegal Voyages to Crimea
Investigations revealed that prior to the full-scale war, the vessel made at least seven trips to Sevastopol for the illegal export of Ukrainian products. In January 2021, it transported nearly 7,000 tons of grain from the temporarily occupied peninsula to North Africa.

At the time of arrest, the ship had a captain and 16 crew members on board, who were citizens of several Middle Eastern countries. During the search, plans for voyages, pilot cards, maps, and radio communication logs indicating illegal activities in Crimean ports were found.

Potential Consequences
The SBU reported that criminal cases were opened under several articles, including treason, financing actions against Ukraine, and violations of entry rules into occupied territories. The ship will be handed over to the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA).

It is worth noting that earlier, law enforcement exposed a scheme for the illegal sale of decommissioned military vessels that were supposed to be scrapped. Additionally, it was reported that Ukraine plans to consolidate the Danube cluster ports under a single administration.