Ukraine protests to Israel over alleged stolen grain shipments

Ukraine has protested to Israel over grain shipments it says Russia illegally exported from occupied Ukrainian territory, escalating a diplomatic dispute over alleged stolen agricultural goods.

Ukrainian officials said on April 28 that the Foreign Ministry handed a protest note to Israel’s ambassador in Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said another vessel carrying the disputed grain had arrived at an Israeli port and warned that sanctions were being prepared.

The dispute centers on grain and other agricultural products that Kyiv says were taken from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories and then moved for export. AP reported that Ukraine had previously informed Israel about the vessels and had formally protested the shipments.

Israel rejected the accusation. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Ukraine had not provided sufficient evidence and said the ship was under investigation by Israel’s tax authority. Ukrainian and Israeli accounts also differ on the status of the vessel, with Kyiv warning about unloading and Israeli officials saying the review was still under way.

The exchange adds another layer to Ukraine’s campaign against the export of goods it says were seized by Russia during the war. For now, the immediate questions are whether Israel will halt or further inspect the cargo and whether Kyiv will move ahead with sanctions.

The broader dispute began to surface publicly on April 27 and intensified on April 28 as Ukrainian officials moved from warnings to a formal diplomatic protest.