Russian Embassy in Beirut denies any knowledge of disputed grain ship
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The Russian Embassy in Beirut refutes Ukrainian claims that Moscow stole wheat.
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Syrian cargo ship Laodicea docked at Tripoli, north Lebanon, on July 29, 2022 (AP)
The Russian Embassy in Beirut denied any knowledge of Laodicea from the moment it set off for sailing to the moment it docked in Tripoli, Lebanon, affirming that there is no official line of communication between Russia and the vessel.
The Embassy went on to say that Laodicea bears the trademark of a private company that legally purchased grain and barley, according to information provided to the Embassy, which also provided that several private Turkish companies are partners in this ship.
The Ukrainian Embassy, on its part, released a statement that they will inform Lebanon of a decision issued by the Ukrainian court to seize the ship and confiscate its cargo, contending that Laodicea is on the list of ships accused of stealing grains from Ukraine.
The Syrian ship, according to the Ukrainian Embassy, is sanctioned by the US, and it docked in Tripoli, Lebanon. The ship holds 5,000 tons of wheat and 5,000 tons of barley and is accused of stealing the resources from Ukrainian storage.
The Lebanese Foreign Minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, reported that Lebanon received warnings from Western nations after the Syrian ship docked in Tripoli with its cargo that Ukraine claims Russia "stole".
Earlier today, an official at a Turkey-based grains trading company denied Ukrainian claims that the cargo of barley and flour aboard a ship that docked at a Lebanon port was stolen from Ukraine, contending that the source was Russia.
The official, who works for Loyal Agro Co LTD, told Reuters that the company had sought to bring 5,000 tons of flour to Lebanon to sell to private customers, and not to the Lebanese government.
Lebanese government officials were inaccessible for comment.
On Thursday, the Ukrainian Embassy in Lebanon told Reuters that a Syrian ship, sanctioned by the US, docked in Tripoli port “carrying 5,000 tons of barley and 5,000 tons of flour that we suspect was taken from Ukrainian stores.”
