{"id":415499,"date":"2026-04-28T21:32:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T21:32:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/415499\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T21:32:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T21:32:13","slug":"israel-says-no-proof-russian-grain-shipment-stolen-as-ukraine-threatens-sanctions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/415499\/","title":{"rendered":"Israel says no proof Russian grain shipment ‘stolen,’ as Ukraine threatens sanctions"},"content":{"rendered":"

Amid a growing diplomatic incident, Israel said Tuesday it had yet to receive evidence that a shipment of Russian grain<\/a> had been \u201cstolen\u201d from occupied Ukrainian territory, while Kyiv said it was preparing sanctions against those involved in the transaction.<\/p>\n

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a post to X, wrote: \u201cIn any normal country, purchasing stolen goods is an act that entails legal liability. This applies, in particular, to grain stolen by Russia. Another vessel carrying such grain has arrived at a port in Israel and is preparing to unload.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not \u2013 and cannot be \u2013 legitimate business. The Israeli authorities cannot be unaware of which ships are arriving at the country\u2019s ports and what cargo they are carrying,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar, however, pushed back against the allegation, reiterating an accusation that Kyiv was conducting \u201cTwitter diplomacy\u201d and failing to provide evidence for the Russian cargo\u2019s purportedly illicit origin.<\/p>\n

\u201cUp until this point, the Ukrainian government has not submitted a request for legal assistance. They submitted tweets,\u201d he said at a press conference, alongside visiting Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Duric. \u201cNor has the Ukrainian government provided evidence for its claims.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Sa\u2019ar said he had spoken with the Israel Tax Authority on the matter, but stressed that, at this stage, \u201cthe vessel has not entered the port and has yet to submit its documents,\u201d and that it is impossible to verify claims that shipping records were forged.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tWorkers load grain at a grain port in Izmail, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 26, 2023. (AP Photo\/Andrew Kravchenko)<\/p>\n

Israel, he added, \u201cis a state that abides by the rule of law,\u201d and any legal action must be based on substantiated evidence submitted through proper channels.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe say again to our Ukrainian friends: If you have any evidence of theft, submit it through the appropriate channels,\u201d Sa\u2019ar said, adding that Israel \u201cwill not be influenced\u201d by public pressure.<\/p>\n

Sa\u2019ar also expressed surprise at the criticism, noting Israel\u2019s past support for Ukraine in international forums and through humanitarian assistance during its ongoing war with Russia.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tForeign Minister Gideon Sa\u2019ar speaks at a joint press conference with Serbian Foreign Minister Marko \u0110uri\u0107 (not pictured) in Jerusalem, April 28, 2026. (Screen capture: GPO)<\/p>\n

According to a report by the Haaretz daily, the vessel Panormitis \u2013 allegedly carrying grain from occupied areas \u2013 was awaiting permission to dock in Haifa, with four similar shipments already unloaded in Israel this year.<\/p>\n

Kyiv considers all grain produced in the four regions that Russia claims as its own since invading Ukraine in 2022 \u2014 as well as Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014 \u2014 to be stolen and has protested over its export to other countries.<\/p>\n

Russia calls the regions its \u201cnew territories,\u201d but they are still internationally recognized as Ukrainian. Moscow has not commented on the legal status of grain collected in them.<\/p>\n

Traders have told Reuters that it is impossible to track the origin of wheat once it is mixed.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tView of the Haifa port, March 15, 2026. (Yossi Aloni\/Flash90)<\/p>\n

In his post to X on Tuesday, Zelensky wrote that \u201cUkraine has taken all necessary steps through diplomatic channels to prevent such incidents. However, we see that yet another such vessel has not been stopped. I have instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine to inform all partners of our state about the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBased on information from our intelligence services, Ukraine is preparing a relevant sanctions package that will cover both those directly transporting this grain and the individuals and legal entities attempting to profit from this criminal scheme,\u201d he warned, adding Kyiv would \u201calso coordinate with European partners to ensure that the relevant individuals are included in European sanctions regimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Heorhii Tykhyi told reporters that Kyiv provided \u201cextensive information and proof\u201d that the cargo was illegal before going public. The ministry published a timeline of its actions and contacts with Israeli authorities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will not allow any country in any geography to facilitate illegal trade with a stolen grain that finances our enemy,\u201d Tykhyi said.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tA man stands at a balcony of a residential building damaged by a Russian strike on Dnipro, Ukraine, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo\/Mykola Synelnykov)<\/p>\n

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on Tuesday, saying Russia would not get involved. \u201cLet the Kyiv regime deal with Israel on its own,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The European Union late Monday said it had \u201ctaken note\u201d of the shipment in question, condemning the alleged transactions and warning that those involved could face EU sanctions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe condemn all actions that help fund Russia\u2019s illegal war effort and circumvent EU sanctions, and remain ready to target such actions by listing individuals and entities in third countries if necessary,\u201d an EU spokesperson told The Times of Israel in a statement, confirming earlier reports.<\/p>\n

Earlier this month, Israel reportedly allowed a Russian vessel carrying stolen Ukrainian grain to dock at a Haifa port, claiming it was too late to turn the ship around.<\/p>\n

Sa\u2019ar, at the time, sent a message to his Ukrainian counterpart claiming that the vessel could not be detained due to the late notice, even though Israel had reportedly been aware of it two weeks before it arrived.<\/p>\n

Senior Ukrainian officials had been demanding the confiscation of the wheat cargo.<\/p>\n


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