The Grain Route - Russia’s Shadow Fleet in Libya

How does a cargo ship disappear from the map while carrying allegedly stolen grain across the Black Sea and into Libya?

A Bellingcat investigation follows the Russian vessel Grumant from the occupied Ukrainian port of Feodosia to Benghazi, revealing how Russia’s growing “shadow grain fleet” is reaching North African markets while attempting to evade sanctions, maritime restrictions, and scrutiny.

With conventional GPS data compromised by interference and deceptive shipping practices, investigators turned to AIS heading data and satellite imagery to reconstruct the vessel’s movements and confirm its route. The case illustrates the increasingly sophisticated techniques used to conceal illicit maritime activity - and the equally innovative methods investigators are developing to expose it.

The Grumant case also highlights Libya’s role in this emerging trade, particularly amid the country’s political division and Russia’s deepening ties with eastern Libya. Meanwhile, Ukraine is pursuing legal avenues to seize vessels suspected of transporting stolen agricultural exports, with the detention of a similar ship in Swedish waters establishing an important precedent.

This episode examines the ship, the route, the technology, and the geopolitical network behind the journey from occupied Ukraine to Benghazi - and what it reveals about the expanding shadow trade in Ukrainian grain.