Russian captain charged with stealing Ukrainian grain from occupied territories
The captain was charged with violating the procedure for entering and exiting Ukraine's temporarily occupied territory with intent to harm the interests of the state, and violating the laws and customs of war.
A Russian captain has been charged in absentia by Ukraine for allegedly stealing over 54,000 metric tons of grain from occupied Ukrainian territories, according to the Prosecutor General's Office and the Security Service (SBU). This action marks the first time such an act will be considered a war crime by Ukraine's legal authorities.
The captain, allegedly acting on orders from top Russian officials, violated the Geneva Convention's prohibition on looting property from occupied territories. The vessel, named Matros Pozynich, made two shipments between 2022 and 2023, carrying grain from the temporarily occupied city of Sevastopol to the port of Latakia in Syria.
The shipments totaled approximately 27,000 metric tons each. Acting Prosecutor General Anton Kovalskyi stated that a legal framework has been established to classify the captain's actions as a war crime. Ukraine's Agriculture Minister, Taras Vysotskyi, emphasized the importance of maintaining safe and reliable grain exports through the Black Sea, as constant Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports threaten agricultural production.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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