Russia is suing Syria over grain it stole from Ukraine — details of the grain lawsuit

Pallada’s lawsuit against Syrian state structures testifies to the large-scale dysfunction of Russia’s grain schemes.

The Russian grain trading company Pallada has filed a lawsuit with the Moscow Arbitration Court demanding the recovery of more than $70 million in debt from the Central Bank of Syria and the Syrian State Grain Corporation, writes Latifundist.

Syrian ports, in particular Tartus and Latakia, still remain key infrastructure for grain exports — including consignments forcibly removed from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. However, the latest legal steps indicate a serious conflict between Russian traders and the Damascus authorities.

According to investigative journalist Kateryna Yaresko, the amount demanded by Pallada significantly exceeds Syria’s official debt obligations. Analysis of the contracts shows that the disputed issues were to be considered under Syrian law, which casts doubt on the jurisdiction of the civil lawsuit in the Russian court.

Yaresko also confirms: “the Russians undertook to supply Russian grain, but instead they transported stolen Ukrainian grain to Syria.” At the same time, the selling price of grain for Syrian state structures — $370–375/t — significantly exceeded the actual market level, which hints at a possible corruption component in the export schemes.

The new lawsuit by Pallada is a sign not only of a legal conflict, but also of the collapse of previously established logistical and political cooperation between the Kremlin and Damascus in the grain sector. If Moscow further loses access to Syrian ports, the Russian Federation risks reducing the volume of “trophy” grain shipments and significantly reducing its influence in the region.

As USM reported the day before, Russia may lose a route for exporting stolen grain due to the court case with Syria.