Syria received stolen Ukrainian grain, Ukrainian embassy says

A Russian ship carrying stolen Ukrainian grain has arrived in Syria, the Ukrainian embassy in Lebanon said on Thursday, after several grain carriers caused controversy when they docked in the war-torn country.

Ukraine regularly accuses Russia of ransacking and looting grain warehouses after the invasion of its territory by the Russian army.

Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria is a great ally of Moscow.

"

," the Ukrainian embassy told AFP in Beirut, "

."

This cargo was initially destined for the Lebanese port of Tripoli, the embassy added, without specifying the Syrian port where the SV KONSTANTIN docked.

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At the service of the Russia-Syria alliance

Another ship unloaded its cargo Thursday at the Syrian port of Tartous run by a Russian company, according to Samir Madani, co-founder of the site TankerTrackers.com.

The Razoni, under the Sierra Leonean flag, is carrying the first cargo of cereals authorized to leave Ukraine thanks to an agreement with the United Nations and Turkey which made it possible to lift the blockade of Russia.

He too was to go to Lebanon before diverting to Tartous this week with his 26,000 tonnes of corn, Samir Madani said on Twitter.

Satellite images showed it unloading.

In early August, a Syrian ship, the Laodicea, was briefly detained in Lebanon after allegations that it was carrying stolen Ukrainian grain.

He was finally able to return to Syria to the great displeasure of Ukraine, which said it was "

" by this decision.

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Syria and Russia have been allies for decades, but ties have been significantly strengthened by the Syrian conflict and Moscow's military intervention from 2015 alongside Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Moscow has provided only modest economic aid to its Syrian ally but regularly supplies it with cereals.