A Swedish court has ruled that a seized Russian “shadow fleet” ship can be handed over to Ukraine, in what Kyiv says could become a major legal victory in its campaign against vessels suspected of moving stolen Ukrainian grain. The cargo vessel, named Caffa, was seized by Swedish authorities in March 2026 in the Baltic Sea. Ukraine requested the ship as part of an investigation into suspected war crimes involving the removal of grain from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The court confirmed that the seizure was lawful and cleared the way for the vessel to be transferred to Ukraine, though the decision is not yet final. The ship’s owners have three weeks to appeal. Reuters reported that Caffa Shipping Limited, the vessel’s owner, had challenged the seizure, but the court rejected the appeal. Legal victory for Ukraine Ukrainian officials have described the ruling as an important legal win. If the transfer goes ahead, it would mark a rare case in which a foreign court has approved handing over a seized Russia-linked asset to Ukraine in connection with theft from occupied territories. Swedish public prosecutor Hakan Larsson said the court confirmed that the seizure of Caffa was legally founded and that the vessel may be surrendered to Ukraine. The transfer, however, can only take place once the ruling becomes legally binding. Why the ship was seized The Swedish Coast Guard stopped the Caffa near Sweden’s southern coast after authorities identified several problems with the vessel.