The Security Service of Ukraine detained a dry cargo ship at the Odessa commercial port, which, according to the intelligence agency, was part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet and was engaged in illegal transportation.

According to the SBU's Telegram channel, the vessel arrived under the flag of an African country to load a shipment of steel pipes. There were 16 crew members on board during the operation, all of them citizens of several Middle Eastern countries. The vessel's owner, according to the Ukrainian side, regularly changed its name and legal owners, as he himself had been sanctioned by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.

The SBU claims that even before the full-scale conflict broke out, the dry cargo ship visited Sevastopol at least seven times to export agricultural products for Russia. Specifically, in late January 2021, it transported approximately 7 tons of grain from Crimea to North Africa. Searches on board revealed documents allegedly confirming these illegal port calls.

The vessel was seized, and a criminal case was opened under four articles of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, including charges of treason and financing actions to overthrow the government.