A SANCTIONED Russian bulker carrying grain loaded in the Russian-occupied Crimean port of Sevastopol is scheduled to arrive in Venezuela on Monday, marking the first time that Russia has openly shipped Ukrainian grain this far beyond its nearest trading partners.

The unusual shipment comes as Russia is looking to legitimise trade lanes from occupied Ukrainian territories with its international partners and follows discussions held last year between Russia and Venezuela to establish a joint shipping company operating out of Sevastopol to boost trade between the two heavily sanctioned nations.

Russia-flagged bulk carrier Enisey (IMO: 9079169) started loading grain in Sevastopol on April 9, according to satellite images examined by Lloyd’s List, before exiting the Bosporus on April 30. Its Automatic Identification System tracker signalled an ultimate destination of Puerto Cabello.

Prior to arriving in the Black Sea on March 24, Enisey was signalling a draft of 6.8 metres. Having loaded at Sevastopol following a convoluted journey with no AIS signal, the sanctioned bulker, owned by sanctioned Russian entity TK Nord Project LLC, was signalling a draft of 10.5 metres.

While Lloyd’s List has been unable to independently verify the origin of the grain loaded, documents obtained by open-source investigators SeaKrime and KibOrg, purport to show that Enisey loaded 27,000 tonness of what is described on the bill of lading as “Russia-origin wheat”.

Previous investigations by Lloyd’s List have found Sevastopol is being used to export Ukraine-origin cargo.

Enisey was approximately 1,500 nautical miles away from Puerto Cabello on Thursday afternoon.

While Russia has a long-established trading relationship with Venezuela, the Enisey shipment marks a shift in the open trading of grain from occupied territory with international partners.

“With this trade, Russia is signalling that legitimising and internationalising the so-called new republics is now a political priority — they are no longer hiding this,” said Bosphorus Observer geopolitical consultant Yörük Işik.

While both the US and EU have previously condemned Russia’s theft and export of Ukrainian grain, there have been limited direct sanctions enforcement as Western governments worry their actions could unbalance food markets.

Since its full-scale incursion, Russia has increased its share in global grain markets at the expense of Ukraine, through actions such as the commandeering of Ukraine’s grain, mining of agricultural lands and destruction of grain storage and port infrastructure.

“Russian theft of Ukrainian grain is deplorable,” a US State Department official told Lloyd’s List in a statement. 

“Looting and pillaging is a war crime. Countries should be able to source the food they need to feed their people and Ukrainian farmers should be able to work in peace and get paid for their efforts, all without Russia benefiting from its criminal behaviour”. 

It remains unclear whether the Enisey shipment is a precursor to wider shipments. However the voyage is an unusual departure for a ship that is part of a sanctioned Arctic fleet, and that has made only one trip outside of Russian waters since 2023, for a repair yard call.

Enisey and its owners, TK Nord Project, were both sanctioned by the US Treasury in May 2022 for their supporting roles in the Russian economy and unspecified weapons shipments.

The trade to Venezuela is also unusual. While Venezuela is not a new destination for Russian grain, it has tailed off significantly since 2020.

Russia was a significant supplier of wheat to Venezuela in recent years years, notably in 2017/18  and 2018/19, when it accounted for about one quarter of Venezuela’s total annual wheat imports. However, those shipments have only recently resumed.

Aside from the Enisey shipment, WL Atlantic (IMO: 9489417) loaded some time between April 13-15, 2024 at the port of Kaliningrad and anchored at the port of Cabello on May 5.

Last year Russian and Venezuelan media carried a flurry of stories quoting officials in Russia and Venezuela who said they were making plans to launch a joint shipping company in order to boost trade between the two heavily sanctioned nations.

The head of the Russian-Venezuelan Chamber of Commerce, Roman Frolenko, told RIA Novosti in April 2023 that a transport corridor between the two nations could be up and running by early summer 2024.

Puerto Cabello was posited as the primary terminus on the Venezuelan end, but the Russian ports seemed less clear at the time with St Petersburg, Sevastopol and Novorossiysk all mentioned.

According to Frolenko, the level of trade could be “very strong”.

Russia has previously denied exporting grain from occupied Ukraine.