Swedish Court Seizes Sanctioned Ship ‘Caffa’ Over Stolen Grain From Russian-Occupied Ukrainian Territories

A Swedish court has ordered the arrest of a sanctioned cargo ship named Caffa, after receiving a request from Ukraine.

Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said, “This is the first case in which, following a request for international legal assistance from the Ukrainian prosecution authorities, a foreign court has approved the seizure of a vessel allegedly involved in the illegal export of Ukrainian goods from the temporarily occupied territories.”

Sweden intercepted the ship in the Baltic Sea in March, saying it was a stateless vessel, though it was sailing under the flag of Guinea at that time.

The ship entered and left Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories many times, violating international law.

It also used false registration and was listed “Guinea False,” in international databases, the prosecutor general said.

The ship was sailing from Morocco to St. Petersburg loaded with grain.

It had also stolen grain earlier from Ukrainian territories.

A shipment from the occupied Crimea’s Sevastopol Port was unloaded at Syria’s Tartus Port in July 2025.

Ukraine has requested Sweden’s Justice Ministry to search the ship and question its captain and crew for further investigation.

“This case sends a clear message: no manipulation of flags, routes, or registration records will help avoid accountability,” Kravchenko said. “Ukraine sees it, documents it, and proves it.”

Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of stealing its grain from occupied territories and exporting it through illegal networks, using ships sailing under false flags, evading international law.

From January till April, 25 ships from Russia’s grain fleet made 50 journeys from occupied Ukrainian ports to other countries, carrying more than 850,000 tons of grain, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said.