Overview
- Ukraine’s prosecutor general, who filed the request Wednesday, asked Israel to stop the Panamanian‑flagged Panormitis near Haifa and seize documents, take grain samples, and question the crew.
- Israel’s foreign minister said the appeal is now under review after Tuesday’s assertion that Kyiv had not submitted a judicial assistance request or proof to back the theft claims.
- Investigations by Haaretz and the SeaKrime project traced shipments to Haifa, naming the Panormitis and the Russian bulk carrier Abinsk as recent arrivals tied to grain moved from occupied Ukrainian areas via Russia’s Port of Kavkaz.
- President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Israel of letting looted grain enter its ports, summoned the Israeli ambassador, and said he is preparing sanctions on people and firms he says profit from the scheme.
- The European Council said in May 2024 there is evidence Russia appropriates Ukrainian cereals and re‑exports them as Russian goods, a practice Ukraine says stripped more than 2 million tonnes in 2025 and complicates enforcement through ship‑to‑ship transfers and flags of convenience.