From traitors to crew: Ukraine's Security Service exposes people involved in stealing 650,000 tons of Ukrainian grain, worth over USD 200 million

The Security Service of Ukraine reported this. 

"The Security Service of Ukraine has documented the criminal activity of persons involved in the illegal export of 650,000 tons of Ukrainian grain worth more than USD 200 million from the temporarily occupied territories of southern Ukraine", it is noted. 

The law enforcement officers established a chain of those involved - from the traitors who signed permits to export Ukrainian grain, to the entire crew of 10 Russian ships transporting looted goods. 

The Security Service of Ukraine has already informed the head of the occupation administration in the seized part of the Zaporizhzhia region Yevhen Balytskyi, the self-proclaimed acting mayor of Berdyansk Oleksandr Saulenko, as well as the "director" of the Berdyansk seaport Volodymyr Stelmachenko about the suspicion.

The traitors are suspected of collaborationism, aiding Russia, as well as violating the laws and customs of war.

The property and corporate rights of Balytskyi and his family have been seized in the amount of over UAH 149 million. Among the seized property there are 4 small aircraft located in the Kyiv region.

"The SBU established that the collaborator Balytskyi issued an "order" on the basis of which a temporary administration was introduced in the occupied territories. As a result of this, the property of 7 agro-industrial complexes and grain terminals in the territory of Zaporizhzhia region was illegally transferred to the pseudo-enterprise State Grain Operator", it is added. 

All other participants in the crime will soon be announced as suspects.

Pseudo-mayor Saulenko, together with the "director" of the Berdyansk sea trade port, Stelmachenko, managed the removal of grain from warehouses and the loading of grain onto the ship Zhibek Zholy under the flag of the Russian Federation.

The Russian Federation also involved sea vessels under the flags of Russia and Syria: Nadezhda, Sormovsky-48, Fedor, Matros Koshka, Matros Pozynych, Zhibek Zholy, St. Konstantin, Mikhail Nenashev, as well as LAODICEA  .

"It was possible to prevent the illegal shipment of stolen wheat. In particular, the specified vessels and the grain products transported by them were seized by the Ukrainian court. Turkey, Egypt, and Lebanon refused and now refuse to accept and unload the specified sea vessels", the SBU reported. 

Another 5 foreign sea vessels illegally transporting grain from the ports of temporarily occupied Ukraine were found. They are also planning to be arrested.