Sweden may transfer detained cargo ship Caffa to Ukraine

Sweden may hand over the cargo ship Caffa to Ukraine, after it was detained by Swedish authorities in March and is currently held at the port of Trelleborg pending a court decision, Prosecutor Håkan Larsson has stated.

He said Ukraine has submitted a request for the vessel’s transfer on the grounds that it previously sailed under a Russian flag and was involved in grain transport operations, Caliber.Az reports, citing Swedish media.

A court is expected to determine the legality of the ship’s seizure and whether it can be transferred.

If the ruling is favourable, the vessel will be handed over to Ukraine.

“If the district court gives a positive decision, then we will tell Ukraine: ‘The court has approved it, take the ship,’” Larsson noted.

He added that the fate of the vessel remains uncertain, and it is not yet clear whether it will ultimately be sent to Ukraine.

The ship was detained over the use of falsified documents and lack of clear national registration.

Its captain, a Russian citizen, was released at the end of April.

Most of the crew were also Russian nationals and left Sweden on May 12.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov