Overview
- Russia’s Foreign Ministry said Israel refused to let the ship Panormitis unload a cargo of Russian grain at the port of Haifa and blamed pressure from Kyiv for the decision.
- The ministry said Israeli buyer Tzentziper declined the shipment and the vessel then left Israel’s territorial waters.
- Moscow said the refusal breaks with Israel’s stated commitment to economic ties with Russia and it warned the move could hurt Israel’s food security.
- Ukraine has accused traders of moving grain taken from Russian‑occupied Ukrainian territory through opaque ship‑to‑ship transfers and it has urged Israel to seize suspect cargoes.
- Israeli officials have said case files tied to these shipments are under legal review and the European Union is watching for possible sanctions on people or companies that enable the trade.