A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry official says the Russian-flagged ship loaded about 4,500 tonnes of grain from a Ukrainian city and called on Turkey to stop and block it.
THE Ukraine asked her Turkey to stop and apprehend the Russian-flagged cargo ship Zhibek Zholy, which is carrying cereals received from the Russian-occupied port of Berdyansk, according to a Ukrainian official and a document in the possession of Reuters.
A Ukrainian Foreign Ministry official, citing information he received from the country’s merchant shipping service, said Zhibek Zholy had loaded about 4,500 tonnes of grain from Berdyansk, a town in Ukraine.
In a letter dated June 30 to the Turkish Ministry of Justice, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office also claimed that Zhibek Zholy was involved in an “illegal export of Ukrainian grain” from Berdyansk and was heading to Karasu, Turkey. The letter states that the cargo reaches 7,000 tons of cargo, a quantity higher than that stated by the Foreign Ministry official.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Zhibek Zholy’s arrival in the country.
Kazakhstan-based KTZ Express confirmed to Reuters that it owned Zhibek Zholy but was chartered by the Russian company Green Line, which is not subject to sanctions. KTZ Express added that it is consulting with all parties involved and will comply with all sanctions and restrictions.
Ukraine accuses Russia of stealing grain from the territories occupied by Russian forces after the invasion of the country on February 24. The Kremlin, for its part, denies that the Russians are stealing Ukrainian grain.
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