A diplomatic row has erupted between Ukraine and Israel over allegations that Israeli ports have accepted shipments of grain that Russia illegally seized from Ukrainian territory it has occupied since its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky publicly accused Israel of receiving "stolen" grain, warning that the repeated failure to intercept such shipments was damaging bilateral relations between the two countries. Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha summoned the Israeli ambassador in Kyiv to formally protest the alleged imports.
The dispute centres on at least two vessels identified by Ukrainian officials. The Russian-flagged bulk carrier Abinsk reportedly unloaded its cargo at Haifa — Israel's main northern port — in mid-April, despite advance warnings from Kyiv. A second vessel, the Panormitis, was reported to have arrived at Haifa Bay and was waiting to enter port. An investigation by Israeli newspaper Haaretz found that the pattern of such shipments was not new: at least two ships carrying grain of disputed origin had arrived in Israel by 2023, and two Israeli grain buyers confirmed to the paper that stolen Ukrainian wheat was being sold in the country. Ukraine estimates that Russia has stolen at least 15 million tonnes of wheat from occupied Ukrainian territory since the war began, with at least two million tonnes taken in 2025 alone. Shipments have been tracked to destinations across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar firmly rejected what he called "Twitter diplomacy," insisting that Ukraine had not submitted a formal request for legal assistance and had provided no verified evidence. He noted that the second vessel had not yet entered port or submitted its documents at the time of the public accusations, making it impossible to confirm Ukrainian claims that cargo manifests had been forged. "If you have any evidence of theft, submit it through the appropriate channels," Saar said. The Kremlin declined to comment.
The European Union weighed in, with an EU foreign affairs spokesman condemning "all actions that help fund Russia's illegal war effort and circumvent EU sanctions" and warning that individuals and entities in third countries could be targeted with new listings if necessary. Ukraine said it was also preparing a sanctions package, drawing on intelligence, that would target both those transporting the grain and those profiting from its sale.
The episode highlights a broader challenge facing countries that are not direct parties to the war in Ukraine: the difficulty of policing a global commodity supply chain in which stolen grain, once blended and repackaged, is hard to distinguish from legitimately produced Russian or other exports. Ukraine, often called the "breadbasket of Europe" for its vast agricultural output, has seen some of its most productive farming regions fall under Russian occupation, with farmers reporting that wheat was taken from fields abandoned during fighting. The dispute with Israel — generally considered a friendly partner by Kyiv — underscores how the economic dimensions of the war are straining relationships well beyond the immediate conflict zone.