Yuri Kobzar17:44, 18.12.24

Each such delivery undergoes formal inspection by a special UN structure.

Russia is likely supplying Ukrainian grain to the Houthi regime, which controls most of Yemen, according to a journalistic investigation by Bellingcat and Lloyd’s List.

The object of investigators’ attention was a ship called Zafar, which was loaded with grain in the port of occupied Sevastopol in early October. In mid-November, it arrived in the port of As-Salif in western Yemen, having previously stopped in the port of the African state of Djibouti on the other side of the Red Sea. 

As Bellingcat explained, all ships bringing goods to ports controlled by the Houthi are required to stop in Djibouti for inspection by the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM). And the fact that a ship that came from illegally occupied Sevastopol managed to pass UNVIM inspection “raises questions for the UN,” the investigators say.

Journalists also note that earlier this year, Zafar had already made a similar flight from occupied Sevastopol and had also successfully passed the UNVIM inspection. 

“The port of Sevastopol is currently under sanctions by the United States and the United Kingdom, and the terminal where the Zafar docked in Sevastopol is under sanctions by the European Union. Importantly, however, there are no UN sanctions on the port of Sevastopol or Russia,” Bellingcat added.

Investigators admit they have no information about the origin of the grain Zafar was transporting to Yemen. However, they recall that Ukrainian farmers in the occupied territories have previously complained that Russian troops were stealing their grain, which Russia later exported.

Bellingcat also notes that Western media recently reported the participation of “hundreds of Yemenis” in the war in Ukraine on the Russian side.

How Russia robbed Ukrainian farmers

As UNIAN reported, from the first weeks of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Russian occupiers began plundering the captured territories. In particular, the invaders appropriated the property of farmers in the occupied south – taking crops and agricultural machinery . 

From the following year, the Russians moved from outright looting to disguised confiscation: crops were formally “bought” from farmers , but at greatly reduced prices and without the farmers being able to sell the crops to anyone else.

At one point, there was so much looted grain that the Russians didn’t know what to do with it .

(c)UNIAN 2024