Stolen grain from the Kherson region and Crimean ports: Ukraine is selling off Russian dry cargo ships

Ukraine continues to target the Russian shadow fleet, which is being used to smuggle grain out of the occupied territories of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. The seized dry cargo ships not only prevent illegal shipments but also generate revenue for the state budget after being sold at auction. 

This was reported by Anticorruption Dimension.

Russia’s so-called shadow fleet remains one of the key tools for circumventing international restrictions imposed due to the war against Ukraine. It includes not only oil tankers but also hundreds of dry cargo ships used to transport Ukrainian products, particularly grain, out of the occupied territories.

European countries periodically detain such vessels. In early June, the first case of a Russian dry cargo ship being seized in Sweden at the request of the Ukrainian side was reported. At the same time, Ukraine already has its own experience in dealing with such vessels: some of them were seized, transferred to state control, and sold through public auctions.

In late 2025, the National Agency for Asset Tracing and Management (ARMA) put the dry cargo ship USKO MFU up for sale. The vessel sailed under the Cameroonian flag, and its owner was listed in documents as the Turkish company MED VOYAGER SHIPPING INC.

The vessel was built in 1982 and was in a dilapidated condition. According to the War&Sanctions resource, it visited occupied Sevastopol and was used to transport stolen Ukrainian grain.

Initially, ARMA valued the asset at nearly 5 million hryvnias, but no buyers were found. In December 2025, the dry cargo ship was purchased by the Odessa-based company "Universal LTD" for nearly 2.5 million hryvnias. Including customs duties, the proceeds to the state budget amounted to approximately 6.9 million hryvnias.

The vessel was detained in the summer of 2024 in Reni. The investigation established that in 2023, it had called at a Crimean port and transported goods taken from the occupied areas of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. 

The cargo was transported on behalf of the Russian companies “TD Fregat” and “Agro-Fregat,” which had seen significant growth in profits from trade in products from the occupied territories. Following its seizure, a Kyiv court transferred the dry cargo ship to the ARMA, which subsequently sold it at auction.

Another example is the dry cargo ship ANKA. It was put up for sale at the end of 2025 with an initial price of over 16 million hryvnias. The vessel, built in 2005, sailed under the Tanzanian flag and was formally owned by the company FAB PETROL DOO from Montenegro. After several unsuccessful auctions, the starting price was cut nearly in half, but no buyers have been found yet.

The ANKA was detained in Reni in April 2025. In November 2024, the dry cargo ship called at the Sevastopol Commercial Sea Port, where it loaded over 4,600 tons of wheat, which it then delivered to Egypt.

The buyer of the grain was the Dubai-based company ALTHEL ALFEDEE TRADING CO. L.L.C., and the seller was the Russian firm "Makoveya," registered in Krasnodar. The Sevastopol-based company "Sea Maker" was also involved in the logistics of the shipment. The court ruled to transfer ANKA to ARMA’s management in June 2025, despite attempts by the owner’s representatives to overturn the seizure.

At the end of 2025, another dry cargo ship linked to the Russian shadow fleet was detained in Odessa. This is the vessel GLADIUS, which until recently was named PERESVET. Prior to its detention, the vessel changed its name, flag, and owner. Formally, it came under the control of a Panamanian company and flew the flag of Guinea-Bissau. However, the investigation established that the dry cargo ship had previously operated on the Russian route and had repeatedly called at Crimean ports.

In particular, in 2021, the PERESVET delivered nearly 7,000 tons of wheat from the Sevastopol Sea Trade Port—which Ukraine had closed—to Egypt. The shipper was the Russian company "Slavyansky Export."

According to law enforcement, the vessel was linked to the company “Sevastopol Transport Systems,” which was controlled by individuals associated with Russian businessmen Alexander and Lydia Annenkov. Both are subject to Ukrainian sanctions.

In December 2025, a court ruled to transfer the GLADIUS to the management of ARMA. Currently, representatives of the owner are attempting to appeal the seizure. It is expected that after the necessary procedures are completed, the vessel may also be put up for public auction.

In April, after a three-week wait, the Russian bulk carrier received permission and entered the Israeli port of Haifa with a cargo of grain. On board are over 43,000 tons of wheat exported from the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, including Crimea.

Анна Бальчінос