Sergii Starushko

In October and November 2024, the Center of Journalist Investigations (the CJI) detected several dry cargo ships in the port of occupied Mariupol. They have not been found out there earlier. They carried out grain, kaolin \ white clay, coal and iron ore. We identified four ships – earlier identified ships as well as new Russian pirate ships in the Sea of Azov. 

The Center for Journalist Investigations (CJI) describes how Western sanctions impact Ukrainian ports in the Sea of Azov, occupied by the Russian Federation; identifies new Russian pirate ships stealing Ukrainian grain; and uncovers sea and railways military logistics of Russia in occupied Southern Ukraine. 

Last satellite data indicate that the Russian Federation keeps expanding railway network on temporary occupied territories of Ukraine, in order to improve its military logistics. Last month these works accelerated 40 kilometers to the south of Donetsk. Construction of railway line between Mariupol and Berdyansk has also advanced. 

По всей линии столкновения на юге и востоке, а также приграничных с Россией и Беларусью регионах, Украина с 2024 года усиленно строит инженерно-фортификационные сооружения. Правительство с начала года выделило на линии обороны рекордные 20 млрд гривен, из которых 1,3 млрд – на укрепления в Запорожской области. Центр журналистских расследований рассказывал, что свободная часть Запорожчины в конце 2023 года считалась самым уязвимым участком обороны, поэтому собрали информацию из открытых источников, изменилась ли ситуация на этом отрезке южного фронта.

Former head of Ukrainian police in Berdyansk Vitalii Brovko left the service in law enforcement bodies after the beginning of Russian full scale invasion and occupation of the city. In May 2023, he has been appointed as the director of state owned enterprise «Horses of Ukraine». His public asset declaration revealed a number of luxury cars acquired by his wife during two years of war with Russia.

The Center of Journalist Investigations tried to find out how family of ex-policeman got 3,5 million UAH for acquisition of five passenger and cargo cars.

In November and at the beginning of December, ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol stayed idle only for a few days shaken by the storm, Putin’s pirate fleet resumed the transportation of stolen Ukrainian grain and other products during the first week of winter. It is obvious that Russian occupants will keep looting Ukraine during winter, despite any weather conditions.

The Center of Journalist Investigations reports about preparation of occupied Ukrainian ports for the winter, number of Russian ships entering Berdyansk and Mariupol during last four weeks and amount of Ukrainian grain stolen by Russia from the Ukrainian South during two years of occupation.

The Crimean Federal University, set up by Russian occupants on the basis of stolen Ukrainian Tavriisky National University named after Vernadsky, launched school for training civilian and Russian military operators of kamikaze drones. 

The Center for Journalist Investigations identified all persons involved in training Russian military operators of drones. 

Since the beginning of the Russian full scale invasion into Ukraine, the Russian Armed Forces have regularly turned occupied South of Ukraine into its military base and used civilians as “human shield”. 

Russian occupants use illegally “expropriated” private houses, apartments, resort complexes and hotels as their military barracks and hospitals. Ukrainian factories are exploited to repair Russian damaged military equipment and armored vehicles. Russian troops have also turned Ukrainian natural reserves and agricultural lands into military training grounds where Russian soldiers learn how to kill Ukrainians. 

The Center for Journalist Investigations identified more than twenty training camps of the Russian Army on occupied lands to the north from the Sea of Azov and Black Sea. Their total area is around 50 thousand hectares. 

Valerii Gerasimov, the First Deputy Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation and Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, appeared in public outside Russia for the first time after «Prigozhyn’s plot». Russian propagandists and Ukrainian media reported on August 1, 2023 that Gerasimov visited the forward command center of the Russian occupation army in Zaporizhzhia region.

The Center for Journalist Investigations identified the whereabouts of the bunker for Gerasimov and determined the date when he visited temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine. 

It is easy to avoid Western sanctions if you use countries as intermediaries. The team of the Center for Journalist Investigations uncovered a network of companies in the third countries behind Simferopol manufacturer of drones founded by Ukrainian citizens-collaborators. It is about Crimean limited liability company «Roboavia». It develops and manufactures «flying wing» drones and has production facilities in occupied Ukrainian Crimea, Kazakhstan and Russia. 

«Roboavia» has not yet achieved its goal – to receive orders from the Ministry of Defense of Russia. But the company is very close to success. Its founders have established channels to receive Western components by avoiding Western sanctions. Its current beneficiaries invest half a billion Rubles into the new factory in Russian Rostov region.