Russia has returned to systematic supplies of stolen Ukrainian grain to Syria

The dry cargo ship DAMAS WAVE (previous name GOLDEN YARA, IMO: 8915299) under the flag of the Comoros regularly makes voyages between the occupied Feodosia in Crimea and the Syrian port of Tartus, transporting cargoes that, according to the investigation, contain stolen Ukrainian grain. This was reported by Kateryna Yaresko, a journalist for the SeaKrime project of the Myrotvorets Center. The MarineTraffic map recorded the ship’s route from the temporarily occupied Crimea towards the Bosphorus. According to her, this is the third voyage of the ship to Syria with stolen grain. “DAMAS WAVE arrived in Feodosia from Tartus loaded, and on July 31 it was already unloaded and a new loading began,” Jaresko wrote on the social network X.

These deliveries come against the backdrop of an acute food crisis in Syria, caused by the worst drought in 36 years, which has reduced wheat production in the country by about 40%. According to Reuters, Russia was the main supplier of grain to Syria before the overthrow of the Assad regime, but since December 2024, supplies have largely stopped due to payment delays and uncertainty about the new government. The use of stolen Ukrainian grain is likely allowing Russia to make up for the deficit and maintain exports to Syria, despite financial and logistical difficulties.

The new Syrian government has been able to purchase only 373,500 tons of wheat from local farmers this season, which is about half the volume of the previous year, an anonymous government representative said. Syria needs to import about 2.55 million tons of wheat this year to cover the deficit. Drought has increased the country’s dependence on foreign supplies, making flights like the DAMAS WAVE critical to food security, even if the cargo includes illegally obtained grain.

Damascus has not announced any major wheat import deals so far, relying on small private shipments totaling about 200,000 tons under direct contracts with local importers, said two industry sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. The use of stolen Ukrainian grain in these shipments raises serious ethical and legal concerns, as such actions not only violate international law but also worsen the situation of Ukraine, whose resources are being siphoned off from occupied territories.

Tags: Ukraine, Russia, wheat, drought, Syria, grain stolen