New AIS Heading Technique Reveals Grain Smuggling Route from Occupied Ukraine to Libya
By
Bellingcat Investigation Team
Summary
The article reports on a new technique using AIS (Automatic Identification System) heading data to track grain smuggling from occupied Ukrainian territories to Libya. It details how the bulk carrier Grumant was observed at the occupied Ukrainian Port of Feodosia in Crimea on February 15, 2026, loading grain before embarking on a two-month journey to Benghazi, Libya. This marks only the second confirmed instance of a Russian ship delivering what Ukraine considers stolen grain to Libya, with the heading data from AIS playing a crucial role in confirming the ship's presence and route.
Source
bskyNew AIS Heading Technique Reveals Grain Smuggling Route from Occupied Ukraine to Libyabellingcat.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledOn February 15, 2026, the bulk carrier, Grumant (IMO: 9385879) was pictured at the occupied Ukrainian Port of Feodosia on the Crimean peninsula.
Satellite imagery suggests it had already been there for several days.
While there have been previous reports of grain shipments from occupied Ukraine arriving in Libya, this is only the second time a Russian ship has been observed delivering what the Ukrainian government describes as 'stolen grain'.
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