Ukraine Urges Israel to Seize Grain Ship Linked to Russian Occupation

Ukraine has asked Israel to detain the Panormitis, a vessel bound for the port of Haifa that Kyiv says is carrying grain from Russian-occupied territories.

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said part of the cargo had been transferred from another vessel, and Ukraine is demanding not only detention but also a search of the ship, seizure of documents and interrogation of the crew.

The dispute between the two countries escalated after mutual accusations. Israel criticized Kyiv for "Twitter diplomacy", as the official legal request came only afterwards, according to Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. Ukraine has long claimed that Israel is not responding sufficiently to its requests, which resulted in the summoning of the Israeli ambassador.

Kyiv has repeatedly drawn attention to the export of grain from occupied territories, including Crimea. According to available data, this could amount to more than 1.7 million tonnes of agricultural products.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has threatened sanctions against those involved in such trade.

(reuters, mja)