GRUMANT

The vessel is systematically involved in schemes of stealing grain from the TOT of Ukraine (Sevastopol), violating the legal regime of the TOT of Ukraine using deceptive shipping practices (spoofing, manipulating AIS), as well as concealing the true identification data of the vessel, in particular when passing through the Bosphorus Strait (masking the IMO number and part of the vessel's name) to transport Ukrainian grain and raw materials from the TOT of Ukraine.
Since February 2024, the vessel has made a number of routes and transported more than 78,000 tons of wheat from the temporarily occupied city of Sevastopol to the Syrian ports of Tartus and Latakia.
The sender of the grain is the russian company Pallada LLC (TIN: 6161095847), which was founded on 03 February 2022 and specialises in wholesale grain trading, while in Syria the grain is received by the Syrian General Organisation for Trading, Storage and Processing of Grain, a state-owned company.
In the period from December 17-31, 2024, the vessel was loaded with grain in the temporarily occupied port of Feodosia, and later delivered it to Egypt.
Vessel IMO 9385879 is owned by the russian company JSC "Murmansk Shipping Company" (TIN 5190400250). Since August 2025, the vessel has been operated by the russian company Baltic Charter Group LLC (TIN 7805533290).
Since April 11, 2024, the founder of Baltic Charter Group LLC has been Andriy Anatoliyovych Stepanchenkov (TIN 772203228110), affiliated with Dmytro Yuriyovych Purim (TIN 772018167343, under sanctions of Ukraine) and the sanctioned russian JSC "Sovfracht" (TIN 7702059030). Dmytro Yuriyovych Purim is the chairman of the board of directors of Sovfracht JSC; he is referred to as a "scheme-generating contractor" for generals of the Ministry of Defense and other agencies of the russian federation and has been awarded the "For the Return of Crimea" medal. Sovfracht JSC is part of the sanctioned Sovfracht-Sovmortrans group of companies, known for its role in facilitating the temporary occupation and consolidation of russia’s presence in Crimea. Sovfracht’s ferries transported russian military personnel, equipment, and fuel to Crimea, and its pontoon barges, in violation of sanctions, delivered Siemens turbines to Sevastopol and Feodosia. JSC Sovfracht is a russian transport and logistics company that provides logistical support to the russian Ministry of Defense, and functions as a key hub in the military transport networks of russian cargo ships delivering North Korean weapons (ammunition) from the DPRK to military facilities in the russian port of Dunay for use in the war against Ukraine. The company has extensive experience in organizing logistics along the Northern Sea Route, participates in the implementation of major infrastructure projects, and ensures transport accessibility to russian regions under sanctions. Since March 2020, it has been included in the List of Systemically Important Organizations of the russian federation.
Baltic Freight Group LLC is a supplier to the russian Ministry of Defense under government procurement contracts (according to at least 7 government contracts totaling 568.5 million rubles). Baltic Freight Group LLC also cooperates with JSC Sovfraht on the basis of contractual documents.
On November 25, 2025, Ukraine imposed sanctions on the vessel.