Ukraine captures Russian shadow fleet vessel in Black Sea

On April 25, the Ukrainian intelligence services, navy, and border security seized a “neutral” vessel carrying stolen Ukrainian grain.  

Part of Russia’s “shadow” ships in the Black Sea, the foreign-flagged vessel was carrying grain stolen from Crimea, according to Ukrainian intelligence officials.

“In the Black Sea, the maritime security of the State Border Service of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine detained a ship of the Russian shadow fleet,” Ukrainian intelligence officials stated on Telegram.  

The incident shows the complexity of the Ukrainian conflict and how Russia tries to undermine the existence of its smaller neighbor.  

Ukraine is one of the biggest producers and exporters of grain in the world. Russia’s illegal invasion and ensuing three-year war, however, have seriously affected Ukrainian grain production and exports. Ukrainian farmers have been forced to abandon fertile fields, while at the same time, tens of thousands of acres have been destroyed by the fighting. Despite these conditions, Kyiv still managed to export almost 100 million tons of goods from its war-torn ports in 2024.  

Moreover, the Russian and pro-Russian authorities have been seizing stored grain from occupied territories and shipping it overseas illegally to make money. Only from Mariupol the Russian forces captured almost 200,000 tons of grain, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. To conduct these shipments, Russia relies on a shadow cargo fleet that is not officially tied to the Russian state.  

The vessel captured last Friday had already delivered thousands of tons of Ukrainian grain. 

“It was established that at the end of 2024 the ship delivered about 5,000 tons of Ukrainian wheat from the port of Sevastopol. It was taken from the temporarily occupied part of southern Ukraine,” the Ukrainian intelligence officials added.   

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“The ship sailed under the flag of one of the Asian countries – this is how the Russian shadow fleet works. Navigation equipment, documents and other evidence were seized,” the Ukrainian intelligence officials concluded. According to reports, the crew was arrested.

Russian “shadow” vessels have also been implicated in numerous sabotage and spying incidents in European waters. Usually disguised as merchant or research vessels, they allow Moscow to claim plausible deniability if they are seized or boarded.

Although Russia maintains a much stronger naval force – indeed, Ukraine does not have a proper surface fleet – the Ukrainian military has been quite effective against it. In more than three years of fighting, the Ukrainians have sunk, destroyed, or damaged over 20 Russian warships, submarines, support vessels, and patrol crafts in the Black Sea. The Russian Black Sea Fleet even lost its flagship, the guided-missile cruiser Moskva, in the opening weeks of the conflict after a salvo of Ukrainian anti-ship missiles struck it.  

There is currently a temporary ceasefire on hostilities in the Black Sea. The United States brokered a separate agreement with Ukraine and Russia to stop the fighting there. As part of the agreement, Russia must refrain from attacking Ukrainian vessels carrying grain. 

However, as the recent incident showed, the ceasefire is a precarious one, and both combatants are looking for opportunities to strike against their adversary. Russia might have a shadow fleet to support its illegal activities, but, evidently, Ukraine has a vigilant intelligence force ready to pounce when necessary.

Feature Image: The Russian vessel seized by Ukraine for shipping grain from Crimea. (The Maritime Executive via SBU)

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