Ukraine has strongly condemned Russia for a second instance of illegally exporting grain from occupied Crimean ports to Houthi-controlled Yemen. This "grain theft" has become a common tactic since Russia's invasion, with numerous ships transporting grain to various countries including Syria and Iran.
Ukraine has urged international ports to reject such shipments and has officially raised concerns with the International Maritime Organisation. The ship in question, Zafar, loaded grain in Sevastopol in October and arrived in Saleef, Yemen, in November. Despite being inspected by the UNVIM in Djibouti, the organization's mandate is to facilitate the movement of commercial items to Yemeni ports not under the government’s control, while also contributing to the upholding of the UN arms embargo.