Captain Of Russian-Controlled Bulker Charged Over Alleged Export Of 54,000 Tonnes Of Grain

Ukraine has charged the captain of a Russian-controlled bulk carrier over the alleged transport of more than 54,000 tonnes of Ukrainian grain from areas occupied by Russia.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said it had charged Mykola Yelagin, captain of the 28,000-dwt Matros Pozynich (IMO 9573816).

The agency said he helped arrange for grain to be loaded at the closed port of Sevastopol and taken out of Ukraine as Russian cargo.

The SBU said it found evidence of at least two shipments to the Syrian port of Latakia. The ship carried 27,074 tonnes of grain in November 2022 and another 27,300 tonnes in January 2023.

Ukraine said the first cargo came from the part of Donetsk region under Russian occupation.

The SBU also accused Yelagin of turning off the ship’s automatic identification system (AIS) at times. It said he also sent false location data to hide the ship’s movements and its calls at Sevastopol.

Yelagin was captain of Matros Pozynich from March 2022 to June 2024, the SBU said. The two shipments identified by Ukrainian investigators totalled 54,374 tonnes.

The source material said satellite images from Planet Labs and information from TankerTrackers.com showed a vessel at the Syrian port that matched the Russia-flagged ship’s size and appearance.

Ukraine has accused Russian forces of taking grain and farm equipment from areas in eastern and southeastern Ukraine after Russia launched its full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022.

Matros Pozynich was owned and commercially managed by Crane Marine Contractor, based in Astrakhan, Russia.

AIS records showed the ship was in Brazilian territorial waters when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Its tracking data remained largely available as it sailed through the Black Sea and Mediterranean in March and April. It did not appear to go beyond the Kerch Strait.

Russia was reported to have tried to send the cargo to Egypt, but Egypt refused it. Ukrainian diplomats also asked other countries not to accept the cargo.

The SBU said Yelagin sometimes switched off AIS and sent false coordinates. Ukraine said this was done to hide the ship’s movements and its calls at Sevastopol.

Ukraine has said that tracking ships and checking where their cargo comes from can help prevent grain from occupied areas from being sold as Russian cargo.

Ukrainian officials estimate that about 3 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain are removed from occupied territories each year. They say much of it is sent towards markets in Africa and the Middle East.

Ukraine has also imposed sanctions on vessels it says are involved in the trade. It sanctioned 56 vessels in 2025. In August 2026, it added another 13 vessels and 28 legal entities.

Ukraine says information sharing with destination countries, vessel tracking and checks on cargo origin are needed to stop grain from occupied areas from entering international markets under a Russian origin.

The SBU said international humanitarian law does not allow the unlawful taking of property in occupied territory.

Yelagin faces charges under Article 438 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code, which covers violations of the laws and customs of war. He is also charged under Article 332-1, which covers violations of rules for entering and leaving temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.

The investigation is still ongoing.

References: safety4sea, ua