Lebanon stops the ship with stolen Ukrainian grain 

On Saturday, the Lebanese authorities detained the Syrian diminutive "Laodycea" with grain, which is likely to come from Ukraine. According to the Government of Ukraine, units belonging to the Syrian authorities carry grain robbed in Ukrainian territory.

The Embassy of Ukraine in Beirut reports that the ship "Laodycea" was loaded on Russia's occupied Crimean peninsula, and the goods came from Zaporozh, Nikolay and Chersonia from south-eastern Ukraine. The Lebanese MFA informs that barley and flour are on board the unit.

The embassy accuses Russia of stealing over 500,000 tons of grain during the occupation of these three regions. Russia denies the thefts of grain while boasting the resumption of shipments of agricultural products from occupied ports in Ukraine.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, grain transports from Crimea have increased rapidly, which, according to analysts, indicates exports of Ukrainian grain. Exports from Crimea are sanctioned by the European Union and the USA.

On July 27, a cargo ship "Laodycea" arrived in Tripoli, northern Lebanon. The customs officer indicated that the goods had not yet been unloaded and that the Lebanese customs authorities had not yet granted an import licence because they were in the process of examining the origin of the flour. He added that his company had provided Lebanese customs authorities with documentation on the origin of the cargo, stressing that everything was done legally.

The owner of the bulk ship is Syria Mar Shipping Ltd., according to the European Equisis database. Syria Mar Shipping Ltd. was not willing to comment on this event. Both the company and the ship were sanctioned by the US in 2015 for ties to the Syrian government of President Bashar Assad.

Source: Bloomberg