Another voyage with stolen grain: sanctioned ship Novaya Zemlya heads from occupied Sevastopol to Turkey

The occupied Crimea continues to be used as a logistics hub for the illegal export of Ukrainian agricultural products. The ship Novaya Zemlya, IMO: 9549281, loaded 19,000 tons of wheat in occupied Sevastopol and headed for the Turkish port of Iskenderun. According to journalist and expert of the SeaKrime monitoring group project Kateryna Yaresko, the ship was loading near the berths of the Avlita grain terminal (Sevastopol Dock Bay) from March 3 to 9, 2026.

Satellite images confirm the presence of the dry cargo ship in the port, despite the automatic identification system (AIS) being turned off, which the crew resorted to in order to conceal the crime. The cargo, which is about 19,000 tons of wheat, the origin of which is associated with the occupied territories of southern Ukraine, is heading from Sevastopol to Iskenderun in Turkey. The expected arrival time is March 15. The export is provided by the Russian company Myroport, which specializes in illegal export operations through closed ports of Crimea.

The vessel belongs to the Russian company Transstroy LLC, which specializes in the construction of Arctic energy facilities.

In May 2024, the United States imposed sanctions on vessels of the Transstroy company. The vessel is also under sanctions by Ukraine and is affiliated with the sanctioned company Eco Shipping. The Novaya Zemlya vessel has also been officially under Ukrainian sanctions since November 25, 2025. It belongs to a fleet of companies associated with the Russian defense sector and logistics in the interests of the occupation army.

Novaya Zemlya systematically carries out illegal actions in the ports of occupied Crimea, often turning off the AIS (Automatic Identification System) signal to hide its location.

According to monitoring groups, this is not an isolated case: in March 2026 alone, several ships with stolen grain were recorded from occupied Crimea towards Turkish ports.