European Security — 2026-06-12

Bellingcat Tracks Russian Ship Delivering Stolen Ukrainian Grain to Libya in Smuggling Expansion

BLUFTurkey's port denial delayed but failed to prevent delivery, confirming that Russia's stolen grain network can route around single-node interdiction to reach willing buyers in Libya's fractured market.

The Ukrainian-sanctioned bulk carrier Grumant (IMO 9385879) loaded grain at the occupied Port of Feodosia in Crimea during the first half of February, confirmed by satellite imagery on February 15 and AIS heading data showing the ship's compass locked at 267-268 degrees, matching Feodosia's 267.5-degree berth orientation 12. Grumant anchored off Izmir, Turkey from February 23 to March 13 without entering port; SeaKrime journalist Kateryna Yaresko reported Turkish authorities denied the call 3. The ship docked at LNA-controlled Benghazi on April 18 and unloaded its cargo, confirmed by Vantor satellite imagery on April 20 1. Bellingcat identifies this as only the second documented Russian delivery of stolen Ukrainian grain to Libya, the first being the Damas Wave's voyage to Misrata in January 2025 1. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry transmitted documentation of Grumant's illegal activities to diplomatic missions in the United Kingdom, Turkey, and Tunisia 1.

Analysis
Russia's shadow grain network is probing both Libyan factions as off-take channels. The Grumant's delivery to Haftar-controlled Benghazi, following the Damas Wave's January 2025 Misrata run, reflects deliberate cultivation of an LNA route insulated from Western sanction pressure. Turkey's port denial imposed roughly six weeks of delay without preventing delivery, confirming single-node interdiction breaks nothing. Bellingcat's AIS compass-heading technique closes an attribution gap that Black Sea GNSS spoofing previously opened, giving maritime sanctions teams a scalable tool for documenting shadow fleet dark-port calls. The Benghazi call may instead reflect commercially opportunistic port access arranged by grain buyers independent of Kremlin routing.

3 sources

Heading Off: New Technique Helps Track Grain Smuggling Expansion to Libya - Bellingcat
Russian bulk carrier caught exporting grain from Crimea - Intent Press
Russian bulk carrier with stolen Ukrainian grain spotted in Libya - Ukrainian Shipping Magazine