The captain of a ship arrested in a Ukrainian port was informed of suspicion
12.02.2026 - 13:23
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has provided details of the investigation into a vessel that was detained in the port of Odesa and that acted in the interests of the Russian Federation.
The arrested dry cargo ship has been in the port of Odesa for almost two months, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reports.
In particular, the border guards confirmed the name of the arrested vessel — it is the bulk carrier Gladius (IMO:8919879) under the flag of Guinea-Bissau.
“The vessel has been arrested, the captain has been informed of the suspicion, the investigation is ongoing. It has been calling at the closed port of Sevastopol for years, changing names, flags and owners to hide its tracks, and was linked to Russian structures involved in the occupation of Crimea,” the agency noted.
The border guards recalled that the bulk carrier was arrested back in December, when the vessel was moored to the pier.
“The vessel was supposed to transport goods to the port of Abu Dhabi,” the border guards specified.
As previously reported by USM, the vessel belonged to an owner subject to NSDC sanctions. To avoid restrictions, its beneficiaries constantly changed the formal details and names of the vessel, registering them with companies from third countries.
At the time of the arrest, the captain and 16 crew members were on board – all citizens of Middle Eastern countries.
