13.05.2024
26 min
1445
Russia continues to use maritime logistics to export grain to circumvent international restrictions. Through shadowy shipping schemes, opaque routes, and manipulation of tracking data, a supply system is being formed that allows the real origin of cargoes to be hidden. Ports with restricted status and companies related to the Russian agricultural and transport sectors play a special role in these processes.
Saudi Arabia has been identified as the latest country to import grain directly from a port in the occupied Crimea, which is under Western sanctions. This comes as Russia seeks international recognition of the seized Ukrainian territory as part of US-led peace initiatives.
Satellite imagery, along with Automated Identification System (AIS) data, shows that the bulk carrier Krasnodar (IMO: 9296781) made two voyages from the Avlita grain terminal in Sevastopol to Saudi Arabia between September and November 2025. The vessel was recorded arriving at King Abdullah Port in September and at Jazan in November.
These voyages confirm that Saudi Arabia has joined the ranks of countries already receiving grain from the occupied territories. These previously included Iran, Syria, Egypt, Turkey, Venezuela, as well as areas of Yemen under the control of the Houthis. The Ukrainian side considers such grain as illegally exported from the occupied regions.
Krasnodar loses sight – AIS service interruption begins on August 22, lasting over two weeks.
The pictures show the Krasnodar moored at berth 21 of the Avlita grain terminal in the port of Sevastopol on August 27.
Krasnodar is reactivating its AIS in the Black Sea as it is required to transit the Bosphorus on September 6.
Krasnodar is transiting the Bosphorus. Judging by the draft, with no visible red paint on the hull, the ship appears to be fully loaded.
Photos (and AIS data) show the Krasnodar docked at King Abdullah Port. On the right in the September 18th photo is a pile of what appears to be grain.
Returning via the Suez Canal, the Krasnodar passes through the Bosphorus on September 28, its red paint fully visible, indicating that it is not heavily congested.
Krasnodar loses its validity – on October 6, a break in AIS operation begins, which will last for more than a week.
Satellite images show how on October 8, the Krasnodar moored with open hatches to berth 21 of the Avlita grain terminal.
Krasnodar reactivates its AIS in the Kerch Strait. After several days of inactivity in the Kerch Strait, it passes through the Bosphorus.
With no visible red paint and a Plimsoll line close to maximum draught, the vessel appears to be fully loaded when it passes through the Bosphorus on October 26.
AIS data shows that the Krasnodar was docked in Jazan for seven days for primary and processing industries. Planeta images captured this on November 6.
After leaving Jazan, Krasnodar returned to the Black Sea via the Bosphorus on 23 November.
On 24 November, it stopped transmitting AIS data for the third time for nine days and has been transmitting intermittently since then.
Krasnodar was again captured on satellite imagery moored at the Avlita terminal in Sevastopol on 26 November.
According to documents obtained from the Russian Federal Register, the vessel is leased by the Russian company Petrokhlib-Kuban, one of the main players in the Russian and international grain markets.
It added that Petrokhlib-Kuban does not export grain from the Avlit terminal to any country.
“Petrokhlib-Kuban does not operate in the port of Avlit and does not ship grain from there. All grain shipped by Petrokhlib-Kuban is produced by Russian farmers,” the spokesman said.
“The vessel Krasnodar follows all generally accepted safety protocols and does not turn off its AIS system during the transit. The AIS signal in the Black Sea is being jammed by the military due to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.”
The spokesman also said that the Krasnodar was loading barley at the port of Kavkaz, “as confirmed by bills of lading and port permits.”
AIS jamming is common in the Black Sea, but jamming incidents usually last no more than a few days. In addition, jamming caused by third parties affects all vessels in the same area indiscriminately.
Analysis of the AIS routes of vessels near the area around Krasnodar revealed a characteristic feature: during both voyages, the bulk carrier Krasnodar was the only vessel in this area to stop transmitting its automated identification system signals for a corresponding period of time.
In addition, Planet Labs PBC and Sentinel-2 satellite images covering the grain terminal at the port of Kavkaz in August and October were examined, during periods when AIS data for the Krasnodar was missing or unstable. These images do not show any vessel matching the length and dimensions of the Krasnodar.
The Krasnodar has been identified three times directly at the Avlita grain terminal by comparing satellite images with recent photographs and videos of the ship. Its last presence at the terminal was recorded on November 26, again with the AIS system turned off.
The visual identification was based on the ship’s distinctive features: a dark blue smokestack with a white stripe on the left, right, and forward sides, five gray cargo hatches, four gray cranes, a red deck, and a green floor on the bridge. All of these elements fully match previously known images of the Krasnodar.
Finally, the ship’s dimensions (overall length 183 meters according to the Russian Shipping Register) match what we see on the satellite images.
Krasnodar has a dark blue (midnight blue) chimney with a white stripe running along the sides and front of the chimney, leaving the rear completely blue.
The lifeboats are located immediately to the left and right of the bridge. The boats can also be seen in satellite images from Saudi Arabia. The image below shows the Krasnodar in Jazan.
The satellite images also clearly show the color of the deck (dull red), the color of the bridge floor (green), and the color of the hatches and cranes (gray). All of this, as well as the chimney (dark blue with white), can be compared with satellite images from Sevastopol, which show the Krasnodar moored at the grain terminal in Avlit.
Five gray hatches and a red deck. The image on the left is from Jazan (November 6). The image on the right is from Sevastopol (October 8).
If we zoom in on the image of the bridge, we can also see that the shape and color (gray) of the bridge top also visually match.
The chimney is not very clearly visible in the image from Jazan, but it is clear that the chimney is dark in color. The image from Sevastopol shows a dark blue chimney with a white stripe, which was also visible in the images and video from Krasnodar.
In the satellite image of Sevastopol, we see red on the hull, below the waterline. You can also see it in the image taken while the ship was passing through the Bosphorus. The rest of the hull is dark.
According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, there are no current or historical sanctions against Krasnodar.
Krasnodar’s flights from Sevastopol to Saudi Arabia demonstrate that Russia continues to expand grain exports from occupied Crimea to new markets as it negotiates an end to the war in Ukraine.
The occupied Crimean ports have become important assets for Moscow, transforming into key logistics hubs for dark grain exports during the war.
Before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the ports of occupied Crimea were used for small-scale exports of grain and scrap metal, mostly to Syria and Turkey.
The occupation of additional territories in Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions has allowed Russia to establish a new supply route, as a result of which more grain has begun to be shipped south to Crimea for export to international markets.
The Sevastopol port and the Avlita grain terminal remain under sanctions by Europe, the UK and the US. While no UN sanctions directly target the port, most UN member states have passed resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and occupation of Crimea since 2024.
In 2023, Iran received its first grain shipments from Sevastopol. In 2024, it was joined by Venezuela, Libya, Egypt, and the Houthis, who control territory in Yemen.
Bellingcat and other news agencies have identified a total of eight countries that have imported grain directly from occupied Crimea.
While Saudi Arabia is the latest direct importer from Sevastopol, it is unclear whether authorities are aware of the origin of the cargo.
The grain shipments follow a similar pattern to Russia’s shadow fleet transporting sanctioned barrels of oil. In both cases, measures are taken to conceal the origin of the cargo and the port of loading.
Most vessels entering Crimea are turning off their AIS transponders, which is considered a deceptive shipping practice, and forged documents are being issued.
Alyona Shkrum, Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister of Community and Territorial Development, said that Ukraine is closely monitoring Russian exports from the occupied territories. She noted that Ukraine had discussed the issue with Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of recent talks at the International Maritime Organization Assembly.
She said that Ukraine “has received assurances that the Saudi authorities are actively countering the risks posed by shadow fleet operations and other violations of international maritime law.”
She added that Ukraine will continue to work with partners to identify and impose sanctions on vessels involved in the illegal export of grain from the occupied territories.
The 28-point US-Russian peace proposal includes the recognition of Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk as “de facto” Russian. Ownership of Crimea and the occupied territories bordering the Sea of Azov is crucial to ensuring shipping routes to and from Russia, and these ports play a vital role in supporting economic growth in the region.
However, the implications of transferring control of this region and the port of Sevastopol to Russia are not mentioned in the initial draft of the US plan, nor in subsequent revised versions.
Ian Ralby, CEO of maritime and resource security consultancy IR Consilium, said that while Ukraine’s priority is to secure access to the grain market via the Black Sea, Russia continues to seek to expand its global access to ports.
“We see that Russia has re-invigorated its efforts to access ports.”
“As the prospect of potential peace begins to loom, although it seems much more distant than many would like, there is likely to be a renewed focus on key strategic assets that matter for the future, and ports should be at the forefront of these.”
