Today at 20:01
A court in Sweden has ordered the arrest of the cargo vessel Caffa, which is suspected of being involved in the illegal transportation of goods from Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.
According to Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, this is the first time a foreign court has approved the arrest of a vessel at the request of Ukrainian prosecutors under an international legal assistance procedure related to the unlawful export of Ukrainian resources from occupied territory, UATV English reports.
Investigators believe that the vessel repeatedly violated Ukraine’s regulations governing entry to and exit from temporarily occupied territories in a manner harmful to Ukraine’s national interests.
“To conceal its activities, a false registration scheme was used. In international databases, the vessel was listed as ‘Guinea False,’” Kravchenko said.
On March 12, 2026, the Office of the Prosecutor General submitted a request for international legal assistance to Sweden’s Ministry of Justice, asking authorities to search the vessel, question the captain and crew members, and impose an arrest on the ship.
Swedish authorities quickly acted on the request. Searches and witness interviews were conducted within days, and the court has now formally approved the arrest of the vessel.
Kravchenko described the decision as an important result of cooperation between Ukraine and its international partners.
“This is a concrete outcome of international legal cooperation. Daily coordination, information sharing, and the transfer of additional evidence have produced results: the vessel has been arrested,” he said.
The Prosecutor General stressed that Russia continues to exploit resources from occupied Ukrainian territories, but Ukraine is systematically documenting these crimes, tracing shipping routes, identifying vessels involved, and using all available international legal mechanisms to hold those responsible accountable.
“This case sends a clear signal that manipulating flags, routes, or registration records will not help anyone avoid responsibility. Ukraine sees it, documents it, and proves it,” Kravchenko added.
The vessel was first detained by the Swedish Coast Guard near Trelleborg in the Baltic Sea on March 6 while en route to St. Petersburg. Swedish authorities stated that the ship was operating under a false flag and was suspected of violating maritime and vessel safety regulations.
One crew member was charged with violations of national and international maritime law. Most of the vessel’s 11 crew members are Russian nationals.
In late April, Swedish prosecutors ordered the confiscation of the vessel. The latest court decision formally places the ship under arrest as part of the ongoing legal proceedings.
