Israel has refused to detain a Russian ship carrying Ukrainian grain
Israel has informed Ukraine that it is too late to detain the Russian vessel that had entered the port of Haifa. The vessel has already left the port, and it is legally impossible to take any action against it. Ukraine insists that the cargo may have contained grain stolen from the occupied territories. The situation has caused tension between Kyiv and Jerusalem, according to The Times of Israel.
Israel informed Ukraine that it cannot detain the Russian ship that had previously docked in the port of Haifa, as it has already left the port. According to their information, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar told the Ukrainian side that there are no longer any legal grounds for detaining the ship. Israel also claims that it was informed about this ship two weeks before its arrival.
The vessel in question is named ABINSK, which, according to Ukraine, may have been transporting grain exported from Russian-occupied territories. The Ukrainian side states that it repeatedly demanded the seizure of the cargo. According to senior officials, Kyiv insisted not only on inspecting the vessel but also on confiscating the grain.
The scandal erupted after Ukraine publicly accused Israel of allowing the ship to enter the port. Ukrainian Ambassador to Israel Yevhen Korniychuk raised this issue with Israeli officials even before the ship’s arrival. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sibiga also discussed the situation separately, addressing Saar directly.
According to journalists, the Israeli side emphasizes that the ship has already left the port and any legal action is impossible at this stage. At the same time, Ukrainian officials insist that the situation requires a detailed investigation and explanations as to how a ship carrying such cargo was granted access to the port in the first place.
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