Sweden’s Supreme Court has ruled that the confiscated bulk carrier CAFFA will be transferred to Ukraine, marking a significant step in efforts to target vessels involved in Russia’s shadow fleet and the transport of stolen Ukrainian grain.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha confirmed the decision in a post on X, welcoming the ruling as part of international efforts to enforce sanctions and hold violators accountable.
Swedish authorities seized the vessel in April after an investigation into sanctions violations. The ship also came under scrutiny for operating under a fraudulent Guinean flag.
CAFFA was detained by Swedish border authorities on 6 March in the Baltic Sea near Trelleborg while sailing from Casablanca to St. Petersburg.
The confiscation process was launched following a legal assistance request from a foreign country investigating the illegal export of Ukrainian grain from Russian-occupied territories.
According to Ukrainian authorities, the bulk carrier loaded grain in the occupied port of Sevastopol in July 2025. The shipment was identified as stolen Ukrainian agricultural cargo, prompting Kyiv to place the vessel on its national sanctions list.
The transfer of the vessel to Ukraine represents another legal action against ships used to support Russia’s shadow fleet and the export of commodities from occupied Ukrainian territories.
