The Panormis, a ship carrying grain from the temporarily occupied territories, arrived in Turkey following a scandal in Israel
The Panamanian-flagged dry cargo ship Panormis has found itself at the center of an international scandal over the transport of grain which, according to Ukrainian authorities, may have been shipped from Ukraine’s temporarily occupied territories.
This was reported by the Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Reuven Asman, on Facebook.
In April 2026, the ship departed from a Russian port on the Black Sea and delivered tens of thousands of tons of grain to the shores of Israel. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the cargo may have included grain stolen from the occupied regions of the Azov Sea.
Following widespread coverage in the Israeli media, protests by the pro-Ukrainian public, and an official response from Kyiv, the Israeli importer refused to accept the cargo to avoid reputational damage.
Against this backdrop, calls were made for Israel to reduce its dependence on Russian grain and review its procurement policy.
After spending nearly three weeks at sea near Haifa, the dry cargo ship changed course toward Turkey on May 12. By the night of May 13, the vessel had entered Turkish territorial waters and anchored near the port of Iskenderun.
As of the morning of May 13, the Panormis remained off the Turkish coast, awaiting entry into port and possible unloading.
At the same time, Ukraine expects an equal approach to the issue of illegal grain exports from both Israel and Turkey.
“What Kyiv criticized Israel for will not be permitted for Turkey. What is ‘unacceptable’ for Israel is just as unacceptable for Turkey,” the statement reads.
Prior to this, the ship Asomatos delivered 26,900 tons of wheat to the port of Abu Qir, which, according to Ukraine, had been illegally exported by Russia. Kyiv has appealed to the Egyptian authorities regarding yet another instance of such grain shipments.
Russia continues to export Ukrainian grain from the temporarily occupied territories and sell it abroad. In late April, Ukraine recorded several such shipments to Egypt.
