SBU accused Balitsky of “theft” of 650 thousand tons of Ukrainian grain
The SBU reported suspicions to the head of the pro-Russian military administration of the Zaporozhye region, Evgeniy Balitsky, the acting mayor of Berdyansk, Alexander Saulenko, and the director of the Berdyansk seaport, Vladimir Stelmachenko.
This is stated in a message on the website of the Ukrainian department.
The Ukrainian intelligence service accuses them of involvement in the “theft” of Ukrainian grain worth more than $200 million and exporting it abroad through the port of Berdyansk.
“The criminal activities of persons involved in the illegal export of 650 thousand tons of Ukrainian grain worth over 200 million US dollars from the temporarily occupied territories of southern Ukraine have been documented. The traitors who signed the permits for the export of grain, as well as the crew members of 10 Russian ships on which the loot was transported, have been identified.
In addition, property (including 4 small aircraft located in the Kyiv region) and corporate rights belonging to Balitsky and his family were seized for a total amount of over UAH 149 million. The SBU also established that Balitsky issued an order on the basis of which a temporary administration was introduced in the occupied territories. As a result of this, the State Grain Operator enterprise was illegally transferred the property of 7 agro-industrial complexes and grain terminals in the Zaporozhye region.
Saulenko, together with Stelmachenko, ensured the removal of grain from warehouses and loading it onto the sea vessel “Zhibek Zholy” under the Russian flag,” the SBU statement states.
The SBU claims that its agents allegedly recorded the export by sea of Ukrainian grain stolen from the territories of the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions through the sea ports and terminals of Crimea.
“The Russian side has involved sea vessels under the flags of the Russian Federation and Syria in this illegal activity: “Nadezhda”, “Sormovsky-48”, “Fedor”, “Sailor Koshka”, “Sailor Pozynich”, “Zhibek Zholy”, “St. Konstantin,” “Mikhail Nenashev,” “LAODICEA,” the SBU lists the names of ships that are allegedly involved in the export of grain.
The Ukrainian special service assures. that she allegedly managed to prevent the “illegal shipment of stolen wheat,” and the listed vessels and the grain products they transported were seized by a Ukrainian court. How the SBU was able to prevent ships from leaving ports in Crimea, the intelligence service did not specify
The SBU accused Balitsky of "stealing" 650 tons of Ukrainian grain.