As the Russian Federation drives grain from Crimea to Yemen: possibly for soldiers for war - Bellingcat investigation (photo)
Representatives of Ukraine expressed indignation after the vessel under the Russian flag secretly transported grain from the Crimean port under Western sanctions, to the control of the Husites, part of Yemen. This is the second case in a few months. Bellingcat journalistic group conducted its investigation. What Ukraine calls a large theft of occupied ports and territories has become a common occurrence from the beginning of a full -scale Russian invasion.
Dozens of ships transported grain from occupied ports to countries such as Syria, Iran, etc. In one of the recent cases, Zafar (IMO: 9720263) was loaded into the port of Sevastopol in early October, and he arrived in the Emenian port of El-Saleif in mid-November. A few days before the arrival, the ship was rolled up in Jibuti, since all ships that transport products to the Hussite -controlled part of Yemen are obliged to undergo UNVIM inspection.
Satellite images showed that Zafar stopped in Djibut in early November and stood on an anchor for several days. Even if the ship passed the UNVIM check, the transportation of the grain on it was still illegal because the departure port was in the occupied Crimea. The task of the UnVIM mechanism is to simplify the movement of commercial vessels to the ports of Yemen, which are not under government control, as well as to promote the observance of the UN Armed Embarrane.
Zafar may not tell the inspectors where he left. The ship hid its presence in Sevastopol (disconnected the automatic identification system (AIS)). And the only thing that managed to find out his whereabouts is satellite images. He had to provide a document from the departure port confirming the download and check. There is no access to ship documentation. This year, Zafar has made a similar flight.
Experts say that due to the supply of grain from the occupied Sevastopol, approved by UNVIM, the UN was in an uncomfortable situation, since most participating countries have repeatedly voted against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The UN General Assembly has approved a number of resolutions against Russia's invasion of Crimea and Eastern Ukraine in 2014.
The port of Sevastopol is currently under the sanctions of the United States and the United Kingdom, and the terminal to which Zafar in Sevastopol is in the European Union sanctions. At the same time, the UN sanctions on the port of Sevastopol or Russia. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine stated that Zafar was outraged to Yemen from Crimea, although he did not comment on the role of UNVIM.
He added that Ukraine "continues to make every effort to expose the systematic and large -scale theft of Russia of Ukrainian grain, as well as illegal transportation through the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. " As with preliminary supplies, it was also not clear where the grain was harvested. Some farmers in the occupied East of Ukraine have previously accused the Russian forces of theft, which was later exported. Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the world.
The ten-year civil war between an internationally recognized government supported by Saudi Arabia and Iranian proxy has led to thousands of deaths and a humanitarian crisis. The UN states that millions of residents of the country have become displaced and that there is a risk of large -scale famine. The November Party of Grain on the Zafar ship arrived a few days before the media reported that mercenaries from Yemen were fighting on the front line in Ukraine.
Financial Times wrote that hundreds of Yemenis were fighting in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, some of them stated that they were forced to come to the Russian Federation and sent them to the forefront against their own will. Although there is no evidence of any connection between supply and reports that the Yemeni are fighting in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, journalists reported that US diplomats believe that Russia is trying to consider contact with Hussites.
Pentagon representative Major General Pet Rayer told reporters at the end of November that the United States did not notice any "significant" assistance or contribution from Hussites that could affect the war in Ukraine. The 180-meter ZAFAR Balker was recorded on satellite images while loading grain at Sevastopol's port on October 6. He disabled the transponder of the automated identification system (AIS), which hid the location from marine observers and sites of tracking on marine vessels.
Intentional shutdown AIS is usually considered a fraudulent practice of navigation if the ship is not in danger. Zafar switched off its AIS system on September 28, its last fixed location was south of the Kerch Strait between Crimea and Russia. He then went to Sevastopol, where he was recorded in satellite images during grain loading before the AIS is on October 9.
The vessel was fixed through the Bosphorus Strait on October 14, then it was headed through the Suez Canal and further towards the Djibute, according to AIS. Leaving the jibuti, the grain was sailed in Saleyif in the west of Yemen, where satellite images showed that the ship was unloaded on November 13. After leaving Saleyf's port on November 18, Zafar returned through the Suez Canal, the Bosphorus Strait again into the Black Sea.
At the time of writing the article Zafar was at anchors in the Kerch Port, in the same place he disappeared from the radars of AIS for the last time, and then his place of residence was recorded satellite images at the port of Sevastopol. We will remind that in the Nikolaev area the deputy was caught on theft of grain.