In April 2026, relations between Ukraine and Israel were shaken by a considerable diplomatic crisis. In contrast to Ukraine’s recent quarrel with Hungary over the (likely illegal) interception and seizure of a Ukrainian money transport by Hungarian authorities, this dispute was not preceded by years of deteriorating bilateral relations. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the relationship between Israel and Ukraine has mostly been pragmatic and cooperative—despite some tensions due to Israel’s decision not to impose sanctions on Russia or directly supply Ukraine with weapons. However, this began to change on April 12, when the Russian-flagged bulk carrier Abinsk docked at the Israeli port of Haifa and unloaded up to 44,000 tons of wheat. According to Ukrainian investigative journalist Kateryna Yaresko, this grain at least partially originated in the occupied Eastern Ukrainian territories. The import of this grain into Israel drew sharp protest from Ukraine, which led to another vessel allegedly carrying grain from the occupied areas being turned away at Haifa port on April 30.
This blog post provides an analysis of the ongoing dispute between Israel and Ukraine and the underlying legal issues. To this end, it will first give an overview of the systematic practice by Russian authorities to harvest grain in the occupied Ukrainian territories and sell it on international markets. Then, it will examine the diplomatic dispute between the countries more closely before offering a legal analysis.
The systematic appropriation of Ukrainian grain by Russia
During their initial assault in the spring of 2022, Russian forces occupied significant swaths of territory in the east and southeast of Ukraine. Shortly thereafter, Russian authorities began to take control of the agricultural sector in those areas. To this end, the property of major Ukrainian agricultural companies such as Nibulon or Agroton was confiscated and transferred either to Russian private businesses or to public entities like the newly established “State Grain Operator” in Zaporizhzhia oblast. Small-scale farmers who did not flee were mostly allowed to keep their properties but are now being forced to sell their produce below market value to Russian state-owned distributors. The crops farmed on this land are then exported by Russian trade and logistics companies via the occupied ports in Mariupol, Berdiyansk, and Sevastopol. A detailed report on these schemes has been compiled by the International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR). The IPHR report also points out that the Ukrainian grain so exported is frequently shipped to Türkiye, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and various African countries.
The (alleged) import of grain from occupied Ukraine into Israel
Unlike the countries mentioned above, Israel was, up until recently, not known to be an importer of grain from occupied Ukraine. While the IPHR report mentions a purported shipment to Israel via a grain terminal in Sevastopol in 2023, it is not entirely clear whether that shipment actually arrived in Israel or was rerouted to Türkiye (see p. 34 of the report). This changed, however, when the Abinsk docked at the port of Haifa on April 12. After the information about the arrival of the Russian bulk-carrier in Israel was made public, the Ukrainian government formally protested.
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https://www.ejiltalk.org/russia-israel-and-the-trade-in-stolen-ukrainian-grain-a-legal-analysis/
