The captain of another grain-stealing vessel was informed of the suspicion

Another captain of a russian vessel was informed of suspicion – for illegal transportation of Ukrainian grain through the annexed Crimea.

The captain of the russian ship “Captain Korchyn” was informed about the suspicion. He was charged with violating the procedure for entering and leaving the temporarily occupied territory of the peninsula (Part 2 of Article 332-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), the Prosecutor General’s Office reports.

According to the investigation, the citizen of russian federation carried out three illegal activities and exits from the closed port of Sevastopol. The suspect ensured that the vessel was loaded with grain, which the invaders illegally exported from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

Aware of the illegality of his actions, the captain periodically turned off AIS on the ship. He also entered into the system fictitious information about the course of the ship, which was supposedly heading to russian ports, and not to the closed sea ports of Crimea.

Earlier, the director of the russian shipping company, which was involved in the transportation of looted grain through the Crimea, as well as four captains of Russian ships, were also informed of the suspicion. At the request of the autonomous prosecutor’s office, the court imposed arrests on all offending vessels involved in the scheme.

It should be noted that Ukraine and the world have numerous evidences of the facts of the export of stolen grain from the occupied territories. This is evidenced by both satellite data and indicators of “export” of grain from Crimea, which more than doubled immediately after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the occupation of regions in the south of the country.

However, it is currently impossible to bring ships, their crews and owners to account for the export of looted grain. Footage from the satellite and the fact that the AIS was turned off are not direct evidence that can be used by the prosecutor’s office. That is why ship captains are accused precisely of ship calls to the annexed Crimea.