Investigation reveals: Russia supplies Houthis in Yemen with grain likely stolen from Ukraine

Data confirms that Russia is supplying the Houthis in Yemen with grain, which is likely stolen from Ukraine, according to a conclusion reached by investigators from the European companies Bellingcat and Lloyd's List based on data on the movement of a ship transporting grain.

The investigators stated in the investigation , which was translated by "Yemeni Youth Net", that a cargo ship called "Zafar" made at least two trips from the Crimean Peninsula to Yemen in recent months, noting that this scenario still raises questions for the United Nations and the International Verification and Inspection Mechanism.

Investigators said the grain was loaded onto the Zafar in October at the Russian-occupied port of Sevastopol. In November, the ship arrived at the western Yemeni port of Saleef, having previously stopped at the port of Djibouti for inspection by the UN Inspection and Verification Mechanism.

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Ukraine said it was "outraged" after a Russian-flagged ship secretly exported grain from a Western-sanctioned port in occupied Crimea to Houthi-controlled Yemen for the second time in months.

What Ukraine describes as “grain theft” through occupied ports and territories has become a common occurrence since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, with dozens of ships transporting grain from occupied ports to countries such as Syria, Iran and other destinations.

Ukraine has long called on ports to reject such shipments if they know where they come from, and says it has raised the issue with the International Maritime Organization.

In this case, the ship "Zafar" ( IMO: 9720263)) loaded grain at the port of Sevastopol in early October and arrived at the port of Saleef in Yemen in mid-November. The ship docked in Djibouti in the days before it traveled to Saleef.

All ships carrying goods to Houthi-controlled ports must stop in Djibouti for inspection by the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism ( UNVIM ) in Yemen.

The UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism did not respond to requests for comment on whether the Zafar had been inspected while in Djibouti. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which is the UN Secretariat’s focal point for the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism, did not respond to requests for comment.

However, satellite imagery and ship-tracking data showed that the Zafar was stationed at a berth in Djibouti in early November after waiting at anchor for several days, according to a joint investigation by Bellingcat and Lloyd's List.

Even if the Zafar had been authorized by UNVIM, it would not have acted simply because its true port of origin was occupied Crimea. The role and mandate of UNVIM is to facilitate the movement of commercial goods to Yemeni ports not under government control, while simultaneously contributing to upholding the UN arms embargo.

It is also possible that the Zafar was not aware of where it was sailing from. In fact, the ship concealed its presence in Sevastopol by turning off its Automatic Identification System ( AIS ), and was only identified there after being spotted in satellite imagery, suggesting that it may not have been aware of its location.

It was required to present a bill of lading and a declaration from the loading port, though it is not possible to know what those forms contained without access to the ship’s documents. The ultimate owner of the ship, Zafar, is unknown, but the ship’s manager did not respond to requests for comment.

Questions about the UN Verification Mechanism

This scenario still raises questions for the United Nations and the International Verification and Inspection Mechanism. Zafar made a similar trip earlier this year, as reported by Bellingcat and Lloyd’s List at the time.

Experts at the time said that the grain shipments from occupied Sevastopol, which were approved by the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism, even if the full details were unclear and outside its mandate, created an awkward situation for the UN since a majority of member states had repeatedly voted against Russia’s invasion of its neighbor.

The UN General Assembly has passed a number of resolutions against Russia’s invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine dating back to 2014. It also called on Russia to withdraw all military forces from Ukrainian territory after its full invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

But unlike some Security Council resolutions, in which Russia participates and has veto power, the General Assembly vote is not legally binding.

The port of Sevastopol is currently under sanctions from the United States and the United Kingdom, while the terminal where the Zafar docked in Sevastopol is under sanctions from the European Union.

But the important thing is that there are no UN sanctions on the port of Sevastopol or Russia.

A Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman said the ministry was "outraged" by the Zafar's sailing to Yemen from Crimea, though it did not comment on the role of the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism.

The spokesman added that Ukraine "continues to make every effort to uncover the systematic and large-scale theft of Ukrainian grain by Russia, as well as its illegal transportation through the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories and illegal activities in our closed seaports."

The Russian government and its foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

As with previous shipments, it was also unclear where the grain the Dhafar was carrying to Yemen was harvested. However, some farmers in formerly occupied eastern Ukraine have accused Russian forces of stealing grain that was later exported.

Yemen is one of the world’s poorest countries. A decade-long civil war between the Saudi-backed internationally recognized government and Iran-backed Houthi forces has killed thousands and sparked a humanitarian crisis. The U.N. refugee agency says millions have been displaced and there is a risk of widespread famine.

The grain shipment carried by Zafar arrived in November days before international media reported that Yemeni mercenaries were fighting on the front lines of Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The British newspaper, Financial Times, reported that hundreds of Yemenis were forced to fight for Russia, with some saying they were tricked into coming to Russia before being transferred to the front lines against their will.

Although there is no evidence of any link between the shipments and reports of Yemenis being deployed as fighters, the Financial Times reported that US diplomats believe Russia is trying to explore contacts with the Houthis.

However, Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters in late November that the United States had not observed any “significant” Houthi assistance or contributions to influence the war in Ukraine.

The State Department did not address specific questions about Zafar when asked by Bellingcat for comment, but it has stressed the importance of the UNVIM’s role in facilitating the movement of goods while separately calling Russia’s theft of Ukrainian grain “regrettable.”

How we tracked the nail

Satellite images of the Zafar, a 180-meter-long bulk carrier, were captured while loading grain in the port of Sevastopol on October 6. Its Automatic Identification System ( AIS ) was turned off, hiding its location from maritime observers and marine tracking data sites.

Deliberately turning off the AIS is generally considered a deceptive shipping practice, unless the vessel is in danger.

The Zafar had switched off its automatic identification system on September 28, and its last recorded position was south of the Kerch Strait between Crimea and Russia. It then visited Sevastopol, where it was seen in satellite imagery loading grain, before switching its automatic identification system back on on October 9.

The ship was photographed passing through the Bosphorus on October 14 before heading through the Suez Canal towards Djibouti, according to AIS .

After leaving Djibouti, it sailed to Salif in western Yemen, where satellite images showed the ship unloading on November 13. The AIS system showed the ship in port at the same time.

After leaving Salif on 18 November, the Zafar sailed through the Suez Canal, the Bosphorus and then back into the Black Sea.

At the time of writing, the Zafar was anchored in the Kerch Strait, a body of water between Russia and the occupied Crimean peninsula, according to GPS data.

This was the same place where it last disappeared from AIS before being captured on satellite images while loading grain at the port of Sevastopol.

Source: Bellincat