Russia Illegally Dispatches First Grain Ship of 2026 From Port of Occupied Mariupol

5,000 tons of grain were exported from the port.

For the first time in 2026, a ship carrying grain from the so-called DPR and LPR has been illegally dispatched from the Russian-occupied port of Mariupol.

The Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor) announced this, as the CFTS portal reported.

“At the beginning of the year, 5,000 tons of grain were shipped from the port of Mariupol for export,” Rosselkhoznadzor said.

Typically, Ukrainian grain is delivered to ports in Russia or the occupied Crimea, from where Russia exports it to international markets as its own agricultural products.

This time, however, the Russians announced that the grain had been issued a phytosanitary certificate that “meets the quarantine phytosanitary requirements of the importing countries.” Therefore, it is likely that this ship will deliver stolen Ukrainian grain directly to one of the countries buying grain from Russia.