FSB reports alleged explosives find on grain freighter
With an alleged discovery of traces of explosives, Russia supports the accusation that Ukraine uses grain freighters to transport weapons. The Russian domestic secret service FSB announced on Monday that these traces of explosives were discovered on a grain freighter. The ship is on its way from Turkey to the port of Rostov-on-Don on the Sea of Azov to load grain, the FSB said on Monday. In May, the ship would have been in the port of Kiliya in Ukraine. It may have been used to ship explosives to Ukraine. Earlier this month, while the ship was in Tusla, Turkey, it changed names and replaced the crew, which consisted of 12 Ukrainians.
“These indications could indicate that this civilian ship was used to deliver explosives to Ukraine,” the FSB said. The ship was inspected in the Kerch Strait. It was then forbidden to continue its journey and left Russian waters. The information could not initially be verified independently.
A week ago, Russia announced its exit from the Turkey-United Nations (UN)-brokered agreement governing grain exports through Ukrainian Black Sea ports. The Russian security guarantees for ships carrying Ukrainian grain were thus lifted.