Ukraine summoned Israel's ambassador to Kyiv on April 27 and filed a formal protest after a second shipment of grain allegedly stolen from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories docked at the port of Haifa, in a diplomatic escalation that has thrust Israel's policy of studied neutrality toward the Russia-Ukraine war into uncomfortable public scrutiny.

The démarche followed a major investigation published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz on April 26, which documented a sustained pattern of Russian-looted Ukrainian grain reaching Israeli ports. An internal log obtained by Haaretz from Russian authorities in occupied Ukrainian ports lists more than 30 shipments of stolen grain with Israel listed as the destination — a figure that dwarfs the individual incidents that have so far become public.

The paper trail: Ukraine warned Israel on March 23

The most damaging element of the story for Israel is not the grain itself but the documentary record of what it knew and when. An official statement published on April 16 by Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs — issued before the Haaretz investigation was published — laid out the timeline with precise dates.

Ukraine informed Israeli partners on March 23 about the vessel ABINSK and the possible origin of its cargo from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, and "emphasised the inadmissibility of import operations with such products." According to the Ukrainian MFA statement: "Assurances were received regarding an appropriate response."

"It is concerning that despite the information provided and contacts between the parties, the vessel was allowed to unload at the port of Haifa on April 12-14," the statement continued.

Ukraine classifies the ABINSK as a vessel "involved in the activities of the 'shadow fleet', which the aggressor state uses to illegally export, transport and sell stolen Ukrainian grain from the temporarily occupied territories and, ultimately, finance the war against Ukraine." A Ukrainian court issued an arrest warrant for the vessel and its cargo within criminal proceedings. Ukraine immediately sent a formal request for international legal assistance to Israel on the basis of that court decision, asking Israeli authorities to apply the relevant legal mechanisms under Israeli jurisdiction.

The MFA statement expressed hope for "fruitful and constructive interaction" and said Ukraine's embassy in Israel was "in constant contact with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel and the competent Israeli authorities in order to ensure appropriate steps." Those steps, as subsequent events confirmed, were not taken.

The ABINSK and the Panormitis

The ABINSK delivered nearly 44,000 tonnes of stolen Ukrainian wheat to Haifa. A second vessel, the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Panormitis, arrived in Haifa Bay on April 26 and was awaiting permission to berth as the diplomatic storm was breaking. According to Ukrainian investigative journalist Kateryna Yaresko from the SeaKrime project, who first broke the story, the Panormitis was loaded with grain from occupied Ukrainian territories via transfers from other ships and departed from the Port of Kavkaz in Russia's Krasnodar region, with a large portion of the cargo transferred from the occupied Ukrainian city of Berdyansk on the Sea of Azov coast.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine values its relationship with Israel but warned that Russia's illegal trade in stolen agricultural products should not undermine bilateral ties. A Ukrainian diplomatic source said that if Israel did not reject the latest cargo, Kyiv would "reserve the right to deploy a full suite of diplomatic and international legal responses" and that Israel had "essentially shrugged off" Kyiv's previous demands. "Frankly, this feels like a slap in the face given the strategic goodwill Ukraine has extended — from designating the IRGC as terrorists to criminalising antisemitism," the source said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar told Sybiha that Ukraine had provided no evidence to support allegations that the grain was "stolen" and accused him of conducting diplomacy through the media — a claim directly contradicted by Ukraine's published MFA statement documenting the March 23 notification and Israel's assurances. A community note was subsequently added to Sa'ar's social media post pointing out that "Ukraine provided evidence and formal requests for legal assistance to Israel regarding previous shipments of alleged stolen grain since March, including ambassadorial meetings and a judicial cooperation request, despite claims to the contrary."

The scale of the operation

Russia established the State Grain Operator in the occupied city of Melitopol in May 2022 as the primary vehicle for monetising looted Ukrainian agricultural production. The SGO exported 212,000 tonnes of Ukrainian grain in 2023 alone, estimated at $46mn, operating through a network of shell companies. According to Kyiv's estimates, at least 15mn tonnes of Ukrainian grain have been stolen by Russia since the start of the full-scale invasion.

The Haaretz investigation, drawing on the internal Russian port logs, documents more than 30 shipments of stolen grain destined for Israel, a figure that places the ABINSK and Panormitis incidents not as isolated events but as part of a systematic commercial relationship between Russia's occupation economy and Israeli grain importers.

Israel is a major destination but not the only one. Egypt, Turkey, Bangladesh and Libya are also significant recipients, with approximately 70 countries receiving some volume of stolen Ukrainian grain according to tracking data. The EU is now weighing sanctions against individuals involved in the smuggling operation.

The broader policy context

Russia effectively supplies 70 to 80% of Israel's wheat imports, according to $A data. Israel has not joined international sanctions against Russia, has declined to supply Ukraine with weapons including the Iron Dome missile defence system, and Netanyahu has sought throughout the war to maintain a neutral stance between Moscow and Kyiv. That neutrality has become harder to sustain as Russia has deepened its support for Iran during the US-Israel war, providing critical intelligence to Tehran against Israeli forces.

The grain scandal has brought that unspoken tension into the open at the worst possible moment — as Israel simultaneously seeks Ukrainian diplomatic support in the Iran war and continues to import Russian wheat taken from the Ukrainian soil that Russian troops are occupying. The MFA documents make clear that this is not a question of ignorance. Israel was told. Israel gave assurances. Israel allowed the ship to dock.