Swedish court orders ship with stolen Russian-occupied grain handed over to Ukraine

A court in Sweden has allowed the transfer of the cargo ship Caffa to Ukraine, which is suspected of illegally transporting grain from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.

According to Reuters, the court upheld the seizure of the vessel, which was carried out by Swedish police and the coast guard in March of this year in the Baltic Sea.

According to the investigation, the cargo ship sailed under a false flag and violated maritime safety regulations due to its poor technical condition. The owner of the vessel, Caffa Shipping Limited, sought to appeal the seizure and secure the ship's release, but the court rejected the request.

As is known, Ukraine is seeking the transfer of the Caffa as part of an investigation into a possible war crime related to the appropriation and removal of property from occupied territories. The court noted that such actions may fall under the definition of a war crime under Swedish law.

Prosecutor Håkan Larsson stated that the court confirmed the legality of the vessel's seizure and the possibility of its transfer to Ukraine. At the same time, the decision has not yet entered into force. The ship's owners have three weeks to file an appeal.

According to Swedish police, the majority of the 11 crew members are Russian citizens. The Caffa is a cargo ship measuring 96 meters in length.

What preceded it

In March, Swedish law enforcement detained the cargo ship Caffa near the city of Trelleborg in the Baltic Sea. The Ukrainian side links the vessel to the illegal export of grain from occupied Crimea and other territories seized by Russia. The ship had previously been placed on Ukraine's sanctions list.

The Office of the President of Ukraine revealed the mechanism by which Russia steals Ukrainian grain and then sells it abroad.