This article is the result of a joint investigation by Lloyd’s List and Bellingcat. The Bellingcat version of this piece can be found here.

A SHIP that has routinely been trading out of Russian-occupied Crimea has been authorised by a United Nations inspection body to unload in a Houthi-controlled part of Yemen.

The shipment, which was effectively given a UN stamp of approval to a trade from one internationally contested region to another, has raised questions over the veracity of the UN-led approval mechanism and allowed Russia to further its stated goal of expanding grain exports from occupied territories.

A bulk carrier, Zafar (IMO: 9720263), which has been a prolific participant in the growing fleet of Russian-controlled ships moving cargo out of occupied ports since September 2023, loaded a grain shipment in Sevastopol in May this year under the cover of a gap in its Automatic Identification System being switched on.

It then sailed for Djibouti, where it received clearance by the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism for Yemen to proceed to the Houthi-controlled port Saleef, where it arrived on June 30.

To complete this trade, Zafar had to get clearance from both the UNVIM — a body that approves shipments into Yemeni ports not under the government’s control — and the Saudi-led Evacuation and Humanitarian Operations Cell (EHOC), a body entirely separate from the UN.

Merchant ships are required to submit a clearance request with supporting documentation, such as bills of lading and clearance from load port, to UNVIM prior to their arrival.

Provided there are no issues, UNVIM will grant clearance.

But if there are any suspicions regarding the ship’s movements, crew, documents, or prohibited cargo on board then UNVIM will inspect the ship.

In the case of the Zafar request, a routine pattern of trading out of occupied Russian territory, which security analysts argue should have raised a clear “red flag” to inspectors, did not ultimately prevent its approval.

The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs confirmed to Lloyd’s List that the Russian-owned and flagged Zafar reported to UNVIM for inspection and was cleared on June 21, with a certificate following on June 22, 2024.

It was then up to the Saudi-led EHOC to make the final decision to grant clearance to Zafar based on UNVIM’s inspection report.

OCHA declined to provide further information about Zafar, including whether the port of loading was known to be Sevastopol at the time of clearance being approved and if the vessel was physically inspected.

The Zafar shipment marks the first time that a Russian-operated ship has been allowed to move grain directly from occupied Crimea into a Houthi-controlled port in Yemen. Security analysts called this a concerning development that should have rung alarm bells within the UN-led mechanism.

“When you have a vessel that is leaving an area that is of very clear contestation relating to the sovereignty of one state heading to another area of contested sovereignty then you have to start asking questions,” said Ian Ralby, chief executive of IR Consilium, a consultancy.

“Russia has a long history of not only using seemingly benign shipments to test the waters and gain information but to try to at times move things in plain sight under the eyes and watch of the international community. There is a daring nature of gamesmanship that some of these actors really like to employ in order to feel smug and superior about subverting the global order.”

It is hard to know from a security perspective whether this was a type of decoy, test run or is a direct problem, Ralby added.

UNVIM used to publish weekly and monthly situation reports in addition to a monthly operational analysis. These documents detailed the number and type of ships cleared for entry as well as provided information on the number of declined requests.

The Iran-backed Houthi militants have dominated headlines this year for their campaign of aggression against merchant shipping in the Red Sea.

Since mid-November the Houthis have attacked, or tried to attack, over 70 ships.

Part of the problem is a well-established supply chain that has allowed weapons to flow into the hands of the Houthis.

While Zafar’s voyage is a concerning development for security specialists, experts say it also creates an awkward situation where a UN mechanism has approved a grain shipment from occupied Ukrainian territory despite Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and the fact that member nations have voted repeatedly against Russia’s actions against its neighbour.

The UN General Assembly has passed a number of resolutions against Russia’s invasion of Crimea and eastern Ukraine dating as far back as 2014.

This includes a resolution regarding the territorial integrity of Ukraine which calls on states, international organisations and specialised agencies not to recognise any change in the status of Crimea or Sevastopol and to “refrain from actions or dealings that might be interpreted as such”.

The UNGA also demanded Russia withdraw all military forces from Ukrainian territory following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

But unlike some resolutions from the Security Council, on which Russia sits and has a veto, General Assembly votes are not legally binding.

Ukraine issued a directive officially closing all ports in Crimea in 2014.

The US, UK and European Union have imposed sanctions against the Crimea seaports, including Sevastopol.

Importantly, however, there are no UN sanctions on the Port of Sevastopol or Russia.

“It comes down to the role and mandate of UNVIM,” explained Daniel Martin, a partner at law firm Holman Fenwick Willan, who specialises in international trade sanctions.

“There is international consensus for UNVIM to prevent the flow of arms into Houthi-controlled territory of Yemen, but it doesn’t equate to wider policing power for compliance, especially because there are no UN sanctions against Russia.”

Assessing UNVIM against global policy objectives

UNVIM is fulfilling its mandate of getting food into Yemen and preventing the entry of arms, he added.

“But if you look at the bigger picture, then it is likely that Western countries would prefer that this happens without enriching sanctioned countries,” Martin said.

The UNVIM website states it has received “voluntary contributions and active support” from the likes of the EU, US Department of State, USAID and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs since it was set up in 2015.

The US State Department referred Lloyd’s List to UNVIM in regards to the voyage of Zafar, but reaffirmed its support for the work of the inspection body.

“The United States supports UNVIM’s mandate of inspecting vessels sailing to Yemeni Red Sea ports not under the control of the Republic of Yemen Government to ensure compliance with Security Council Resolution 2216,” a spokesperson said. 

“UNVIM plays a critical role in facilitating the flow of essential goods into Yemen, helping mitigate the dire economic and humanitarian crises facing the country.”

Zafar arrived in Saleef  just two days before a visit of a Houthi delegation to Moscow in early July, where issues including Yemen’s civil war were discussed.

Yemen is one of the world’s poorest countries and is heavily reliant on foreign imports, particularly for food.

Russia has been explicit about its goal to expand its grain exports in order to win foreign influence and goodwill. The country’s president, Vladimir Putin, stated in 2023 that Russia had “the capacity to replace Ukrainian grain, both commercially and as free aid to needy countries.”

Statistics published by Russia’s agriculture minister confirm Russia is growing and harvesting grain and other agricultural products from occupied territory to boost its export capacity.

The voyage of Zafar: Sevastopol to Saleef

Zafar joined Russia’s growing fleet of vessels employed to move cargo out of occupied ports in September 2023.

The bulk carrier can be traced making several voyages from Sevastopol to Syria. Late last year, Lloyd’s List and Bellingcat tracked it unloading in Bandar-e Emam Khomeini in southern Iran.

Analysis of traceable callings data suggests Zafar sailed from Kavkaz outer port limit, Russia, on its latest voyage to Saleef.

Kavkaz OPL is a ship-to-ship area used to transport Russian grain and other commodities to foreign markets.

However, Lloyd’s List Intelligence vessel tracking data shows a gap in AIS data between 13 April and 25 May.

A satellite image taken of the sanctioned port of Sevastopol shows a ship matching the Zafar docked at the Avlita grain terminal on May 17, 2024.

Analysis of satellite imagery suggests the ship was berthed in the occupied port between May 16 to May 23.

Zafar reappears with AIS data at the end of May and can be tracked sailing towards the Bosporus Strait on May 30.

At this point, Zafar’s draught increased from 6.8m to 10.5m, suggesting the ship had loaded during the time it was operating off the radar.

Draught information in AIS data is entered manually and not always reliable.

However, vessels are required to input accurate information for safety purposes when passing certain chokepoints, such as the Bosporus Strait and Suez Canal.

Zafar sailed through the Red Sea and arrived in Djibouti anchorage on June 16.

UNVIM is located in Djibouti.

The ship stayed anchored off the coast of Djibouti until June 22 except for a brief period on June 19, where it berthed at the port.

After receiving the correct permissions, Zafar arrived at Saleef Port, Yemen on June 30, where it remains today.

Satellite images show the vessel unloading at Saleef.

Authors: Youri van der Weide, Yörük Işık, Bridget Diakun and Eoghan Macguire