Egypt Lets Ship With Stolen Ukrainian Grain Unload Despite Kyiv’s Warnings, Foreign Minister Says

Egypt Allows Vessel Carrying Alleged Stolen Ukrainian Grain to Unload at Its Ports Despite Kyiv’s Legal Requests

Egypt has permitted a vessel carrying what Ukraine considers stolen grain from temporarily occupied territories to unload at its ports, despite formal legal requests from Kyiv to detain the shipment.

According to a statement from Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on May 5, the ship ASOMATOS was allowed to discharge approximately 26,900 tons of wheat at the port of Abu Qir. Ukrainian officials maintain that the cargo originated from temporarily occupied territories and was exported via Crimea.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha

Sybiha noted that this is the fourth documented instance since April where stolen Ukrainian grain has been processed through Egyptian ports. “Despite repeated warnings, the vessel ‘ASOMATOS’ was allowed to unload 26.9 thousand tons of stolen Ukrainian wheat in Abu Qir,” he said.

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Office of the Prosecutor General had sent an official request for legal assistance to Egypt’s Ministry of Justice five days before the vessel’s arrival. The request included documentation and legal grounds for the arrest of both the ship and its cargo. Ukrainian authorities allege that the shipment was exported by the sanctioned company Agro-Fregat through temporarily occupied Crimea.

Sybiha emphasized Ukraine’s longstanding role in supporting Egypt’s food security. “Ukraine is a country that for many years has played the role of a reliable guarantor of Egypt’s food security, and we do not understand why Egyptian partners repay us by continuing to accept stolen Ukrainian grain,” he said.

He called on Egypt to uphold international law and bilateral commitments, adding, “Stolen goods from occupied territories must be confiscated, not accepted. Looting is not trade but complicity that only fuels further aggression.”

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has documented several similar incidents involving shipments routed through ports in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. Officials describe these as part of a so-called “shadow grain fleet” used by Russia to distribute agricultural products taken from occupied regions.

This development follows earlier diplomatic tensions involving other countries. In April, vessels suspected of carrying grain from occupied Ukrainian territories were allowed to unload at Israel’s Haifa port despite prior warnings from Kyiv.

Egypt remains the world’s largest importer of wheat, and its procurement decisions are closely watched as indicators of global supply trends.

wheat production

Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Egypt had assured Ukraine it would not accept grain originating from occupied territories following a conversation with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. However, the latest incident suggests those assurances may not be consistently enforced.