In a somewhat mysterious and unprecedented development, a Chinese-owned cargo ship has beem caught docking in the Crimean port of Sevastopol - which is a first ever known instance since Russia's annexation of the region by popular referendum in 2014, according to the Financial Times on Tuesday.

The report relies on satellite imagery, photographs, and transponder data to make the case for the Chinese vessel being engaged in sanctions-busting. It's been identified as the Panama-flagged Heng Yang 9, operated by China’s Guangxi Changhai Shipping Company.

The investigative report says the large vessel has made at least three visits to Crimea in recent months, citing furious Ukrainian officials. Regardless, Beijing hasn't seemed too concern after forging its "friends forever, never enemies" relationship with Russia, to use the words of Chinese's Foreign Minister Wang Yi from just months ago.

The FT report details that in its most recent trip the Heng Yang 9 left Istanbul in early September, paused near Russia's southern port of Novorossiysk by September 6, and docked in Sevastopol on September 14. The official listed destination was Port Kavkaz but satellite images produced by the European Space Agency taken on September 9 and 11 confirm that the ship had diverted to Sevastopol.

Sources cited in the report further say the cargo ship at various times switched its transponder signals off, or 'went dark', while traversing the Black Sea over a two week period, which is a common detection evasion technique when entering internationally sanctioned ports. Also, this is likely given that technically Sevastopol is still recognized by most global countries as part of Ukraine.

One top Kiev official has condemned the development on behalf of the government, saying, "Ukraine has made it clear that such actions are unacceptable and expects all international partners and companies to strictly avoid contacts with the occupied territories."

FT underscores that this is all part of newly established import/export infrastructure between the Russian mainland and the Crimean peninsula:

The visits by the 140m-long container ship follow the opening in April of a new railway into Crimea that, according to Moscow, allows containers to be delivered from Russia on to ships. Russian authorities in August also listed Berdyansk and Mariupol, two other occupied Ukrainian ports, as open to foreign visitors.

Ukrainian officials believe Russia is transporting goods via that railway from the occupied Donetsk and Kherson regions — known for their heavy industry and agriculture — to the ports it seized control over for export.

Again, the Chinese government has shrugged off and rejected accusations of sanctions-busting, while also underscoring that it is free to trade with any country or entity it wants - though it also still has an official policy of advising Chinese citizens and companies to avoid contact with Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, amid the ongoing war.

Financial Times tracking graphic:

Such Russia-China trade activity in the Black Sea is likely set to deepen, despite Trump's ongoing threats of 'secondary sanctions' - which would take aim precisely at countries like China and India who are suspected of still helping fuel Russia's military machine, especially through Russian oil purchases.