A sharp diplomatic row has erupted between Ukraine and Israel after Kyiv accused Jerusalem of allowing the import of grain it claims was stolen by Russia from occupied Ukrainian territories.
The dispute escalated yesterday when Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy publicly condemned the arrival of a second vessel carrying what he described as illegally seized Ukrainian grain at the port of Haifa. He warned that such trade “cannot be legitimate business” and threatened sanctions against those involved.
The vessel, the Panormitis, reportedly carries more than 6,200 tonnes of wheat and 19,000 tonnes of barley.
Zelensky said: “In any normal country, purchasing stolen goods is an act that entails legal liability. This applies, in particular, to grain stolen by Russia.
“Such schemes violate the laws of the State of Israel itself. Ukraine 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,” he said.
He warned that Kyiv is preparing a sanctions package targeting those profiting from the shipments.
In 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. This is not – and cannot be – legitimate…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) April 28, 2026
The vessel in question, the Panama-flagged bulk carrier, entered Haifa Bay last week and was reported to be preparing to unload thousands of tonnes of wheat and barley.
Ukrainian officials say it forms part of a pattern: An investigation by Israeli newspaper Haaretz on April 26 revealed that at least four similar shipments of grain from Russian-occupied areas have already been unloaded in Israel this year, often via Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” operating in the Black Sea.
It added that “internal logs kept by Russian authorities in occupied Ukrainian ports, obtained by Haaretz, list over 30 shipments of stolen goods with Israel as their destination”.
In response, Ukraine’s foreign minister Andrii Sybiha summoned Israeli Ambassador Michael Brodsky to the ministry yesterday and handed him a formal note of protest.
Kyiv demanded that Israel immediately halt further imports and prevent the unloading of the current cargo.
“We once again warn Israel against accepting the stolen grain and harming our relations,” Sybiha stated, emphasising that continued trade would damage bilateral ties.
Israel has pushed back, insisting it has received no concrete evidence from Ukraine that the grain is stolen.
Foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar said the claims were being examined but stressed that previous vessels had already been processed and that diplomatic relations should not be conducted via public statements or social media.
The row highlights Ukraine’s broader campaign to stop Russia from monetising agricultural produce taken from occupied regions in southern and eastern Ukraine, including parts of Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as Crimea.
Kyiv regards all such grain as stolen property that directly funds Moscow’s war effort. Israeli officials have not commented on the legal status of the cargo but note that imports are handled through commercial channels.
The European Union has taken note of the incident. An EU foreign affairs spokesperson said the bloc “condemns all actions that help fund Russia’s illegal war effort and circumvent sanctions”, while mulling possible measures against individuals or entities involved in the trade.
From the Israeli side, some pointed out that Russia’s shadow fleet and laundering practices for grain from occupied Ukrainian territories are not limited to Israel but form part of a much wider global trade network.
Russia exported well over two million tonnes of grain from occupied Ukrainian territories in 2025, much of it disguised as Russian produce and moved via the shadow fleet. These same vessels routinely deliver to multiple countries, with Egypt and Bangladesh taking the largest shares, followed by Turkey, Algeria, Syria, Lebanon and others.
The ships often use ship-to-ship transfers, disabled transponders and re-flagging to obscure origins, meaning a vessel that docks in Haifa may have previously unloaded in Istanbul or Alexandria and will likely continue trading elsewhere.
Israeli officials and supporters argue that Israel is not acting in isolation and the same “stolen” grain flows widely through global markets, with many countries continuing to accept it while receiving far less public criticism.
