Swedish Court Orders Russian Shadow Fleet Ship Transferred to Ukraine

The Supreme Court of Sweden dismissed an appeal by Caffa Shipping Ltd on August 4, ruling that the seized Russian shadow fleet cargo ship, the Caffa, must be transferred to Ukraine. The 96-metre vessel was intercepted by armed Swedish police on March 6 off Trelleborg while sailing toward Saint Petersburg under a false Guinean flag.

Ukrainian authorities, including sanctions commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk, suspect the vessel transported grain stolen from occupied Ukrainian territory. Specifically, officials identified a July 2025 shipment from Sevastopol, Crimea, which was subsequently unloaded in Tartus, Syria.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the court's decision as a landmark precedent for accountability. This ruling marks the first time a Swedish court has ordered the transfer of a Russian ship suspected of transporting stolen Ukrainian grain to Kyiv.