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Ukraine today asked Israel for clarifications regarding the fact that a vessel allegedly belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet” docked at the port of Haifa with a shipment of wheat originating from territories that Russia occupied from Ukraine during the war, according to a senior Ukrainian official and another source familiar with the details
Why it matters: This incident could turn out to be a significant violation by Israel of U.S. and international sanctions imposed on Russia and its “shadow fleet”
If this is indeed the case, it is a serious incident that contradicts the declared policy of the Israeli government
Ukraine is demanding that Israel detain the Russian vessel, which Ukraine claims is under international sanctions, and prevent it from leaving the port
Behind the scenes: A senior Ukrainian official told me that Ukrainian intelligence identified the preparations of the Russian vessel to depart from the Black Sea with a cargo of grain originating from territories that Russia captured from Ukraine
Ukrainian intelligence prepared a file with information on the matter and transferred it to the Prosecutor General’s Office in Ukraine on March 20
On March 27, Ukraine’s ambassador to Israel, Yevgen Korniychuk, met with senior officials at the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, handed over the information, warned that this constitutes a violation of sanctions, and requested that the vessel not be allowed to dock in Israel
A senior Ukrainian official told me that, based on the Prosecutor General’s request, a Ukrainian court issued on April 8 a detention order for the Russian vessel
Today, after the Russian vessel docked at the port of Haifa, the Ukrainian Prosecutor General met with Israel’s ambassador to Kyiv, Michael Brodsky, and handed him a request for international legal assistance - and for the detention of the vessel