The Ukrainian embassy in Beirut announced today, Thursday, that a Syrian ship carrying grain “stolen” by Russia from Ukrainian warehouses docked in the port of Tripoli in northern Lebanon, and said that it had informed the Lebanese authorities that this would harm bilateral relations.
"I told President Michel Aoun in today's meeting that the supply of Ukrainian grain stolen by Russia may harm bilateral relations," Ukrainian Ambassador to Lebanon Ihor Ostach said Thursday.
For its part, the Lebanese presidency said in a tweet on Twitter that President Aoun received the Ukrainian ambassador today, where they discussed bilateral relations between the two countries, cooperation in the field of wheat and grain security, in addition to the latest developments related to the Ukrainian-Russian war and its repercussions on the food sector in the world.
A Lebanese official confirmed - according to Reuters - that the issue was raised during a meeting with Aoun on Thursday, referring to Ukraine's general fears that Russia would try to sell stolen Ukrainian wheat to a group of countries, including Lebanon.
According to the Marine Traffic website, the ship "Laodicea" arrived in Tripoli yesterday, Wednesday.
The Ukrainian embassy in Beirut told Reuters that the ship sailed from a port in the Crimea, which is closed to international shipping, and was carrying 5,000 tons of barley and the same amount of flour.
The embassy added that it suspected that this cargo was taken from Ukrainian warehouses.
"This is the first time that shipments of stolen grain and flour have arrived in Lebanon," the embassy said.
The "Laodsia" ship is one of three ships owned by the General Directorate of Syrian Ports, which Ukraine says is transporting stolen wheat from warehouses in Ukrainian lands recently seized by Russia.
But Russia has previously denied allegations that it did not steal any Ukrainian grain.