KEY POINTS

  • These cargo ships have not broadcast their identity and position
  • The ships are in an area known as the haunt of Russian warships 
  • The vessels are likely moving grains seized from Ukrainian ports

Three merchant ships with their automated identification system turned off were spotted off Sevastopol, the Russian Naval Base in Crimea. The ships have been anchored just outside the harbor amid other Russian warships.

The presence of the merchant ships hints at the Russian move to export grain and other merchandise, reported defense analyst HI Sutton in his blogpost Covert Shores.

According to him, these cargo ships have been running "dark," which means their identity and position are not being broadcast. "Automated Identification System (AIS) is required for this type of vessel. They do not appear on AIS aggregators such as MarineTraffic.com despite other vessels in the area doing so. This shows that they are not simply "out of range" of an AIS receiver," Sutton added.

He added that the merchant ships are now stationed at Roadstead, a location usually taken by such vessels. The ships are likely there with the knowledge of Russian authorities as they never appeared on the satellites before.

"The area has been the haunt of Russian Navy warships. It is where many of the Kalibr cruise missiles have been launched. Merchant ships have kept a wide berth of the naval base and warzone," he added.

Much of the grains now being exported by Russia were allegedly seized from captured Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov. This explains why the ships opted to turn off their AIS, Sutton said.

Earlier, a Russian merchant ship carrying stolen grains had berthed at the Syrian port of Latakia, after being turned away from at least one Mediterranean port. The vessel Matros Pozynich was spotted anchoring off the coast of Crimea 10 days prior to this. It too had turned off its AIS to remain anonymous.

Ukraine had also alleged that "a significant part of the grain stolen from Ukraine is on vessels sailing under the Russian flag in the waters of the Mediterranean."

Over 20 million tons of grain are currently stuck inside Ukraine and the West, including the U.S., is struggling to find a solution to lifting the Russian blockade of Ukrainian ports. The scenario has raised global food prices, and may cause a catastrophic food shortage in many parts of the world.

Russia has declared that it is ready to export significant volumes of fertilizers and food if sanctions against Moscow were lifted.

At Russian ports such as Taganrog, dozens of ships loaded with grain are stranded
At Russian ports such as Taganrog, dozens of ships loaded with grain are stranded AFP / STRINGER
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