Vue lecture

Russian 1,000-ship network generates millions in military funds from stolen Ukrainian grain in Iran, Turkiye, Egypt

vessel ukraine grain initiative depart odesa port

Russia has turned stolen Ukrainian grain into a global business. Moscow is selling so-called “Russian” wheat in 70 countries, including Egypt, Turkiye, and Iran, according to the Center for National Resistance.

Kyiv has recently revealed that Russia owns 42 ships transporting stolen Ukrainian grain and coal. Every ship carrying oil or grain brings Moscow’s more funds to support its military operations. The Ukrainian Intelligence says that over 1,000 ships and 155 captains are involved in transporting weapons and stolen goods from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. 

Russia is stealing Ukrainian wheat from occupied Luhansk, Donetsk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts. Ukrainian officials estimate that by 2025, Russia has illegally exported around 15 million tons of grain, mostly wheat, from these territories.

“In the new season, the Kremlin is again trying to maintain its market dominance—at the expense of temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories,” says the Center for National Resistance. 

Russia collects and exports wheat from occupied Ukrainian lands under the guise of Russian origin.

“This is large-scale grain plundering—a crime for which all involved will be held accountable, from officials to international intermediaries,” adds the agency. 

Previously, Euromaidan Press reported that Ukraine plans to appeal to the EU to impose sanctions on Bangladeshi companies importing wheat from Russian-occupied territories. Intelligence reports indicate that over 150,000 tons of such grain have already been shipped from the Kavkaz port.

The Ukrainian embassy has sent multiple notes to Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry requesting the rejection of shipments containing stolen grain, but officials in Dhaka have ignored these appeals.

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. Become a patron or see other ways to support
  •  

Ukraine exposes 1,000-ship Russian “shadow fleet” using fake flags to fund war

A grain cargo ship at a Russian port, illustrative image. Photo via Wikimedia.

How is Russia circumventing sanctions? By sea. Ukrainian intelligence has revealed details of operations involving 42 ships engaged in transporting sanctioned Russian and Iranian oil, stolen Ukrainian grain and coal, as well as bunkering activities of the so-called “shadow fleet.”

For Ukraine, this is a very real problem. Every ship carrying oil or grain supports Russia’s military operations, sustains occupation pressure, and limits the effectiveness of sanctions.

Floating depots and false flags

Among the identified vessels is a floating storage unit of Russia’s Lukoil company in the Caspian Sea, used for transferring oil to “shadow fleet” tankers. Why does this matter? Under sanction and diplomatic pressure, many countries refuse to register such ships. Moscow responds with fraud: false flags, fake maritime registries, and falsified documents.

Russia’s systematic theft of Ukrainian grain from occupied territories has become a central feature of its war strategy, with millions of tons looted since 2022. The funds from such shadow operations are used to finance its war machine. 

According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), over 300 ships worldwide currently sail under fake flags and fraudulent documentation, creating global risks for maritime trade and shipping safety.

War&Sanctions reveals the “shadow fleet”

The new “Ships” section on Ukraine’s War&Sanctions portal led by the intelligence agency displays over 100 Russian and Iranian tankers operating under fake flags of Panama, Malawi, Comoros, Guinea, and Palau.

HUR explains that all such vessels should be fully banned from servicing, port calls, and international straits. Flag states and the IMO must exercise strict and timely control.

More than just numbers

Overall, the portal now contains data on over 1,000 ships and 155 captains involved in transporting weapons and stolen products from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. This is not mere statistics — each vessel and captain reflects a complex network of Moscow and Tehran’s sanction-evading schemes.

The War&Sanctions portal enables monitoring of these schemes and provides global regulators with concrete data for action against violators. 

You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this. We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society. Become a patron or see other ways to support
  •