Sweden has carried out an operation in the Baltic Sea to intercept the cargo ship Caffa, which is accused of transporting grain originating from occupied Ukrainian territories.
The action took place near the town of Trelleborg and involved Swedish special forces (Nationella insatsstyrkan), police air support and coastguards who manned the ship during a mission called “Svart kaffe” (black coffee).
According to authorities and maritime surveillance data, the ship allegedly loaded grain in Sevastopol in July 2025 — a cargo that Kyiv considers stolen. Due to participation in export schemes connected with the occupied territories, the ship was included in the sanctions list of Ukraine. Swedish Civil Defense Minister Carl-Oscar Bolin said the cargo ship changed its Russian flag to that of Guinea to try to hide its activities.
At the time of detention, the ship was sailing from Casablanca to St. Petersburg. Swedish authorities say Caffa already had a record of violating international regulations in the past. The Coast Guard stressed that the operation was pre-planned with a detailed risk analysis, while investigators began searches on board and questioning the crew.
The case is seen in Stockholm as part of a wider offensive against the so-called “shadow fleet”, which is used to evade international sanctions. A similar incident took place on March 1, 2026, when Belgian military forces supported by France intercepted the tanker Ethera near Ostend. The 180-metre vessel, also flying the flag of Guinea, was identified by intelligence services as part of this network and taken to the port of Zeebrugge for investigation.
+ Russia claims to have shot down 754 Ukrainian drones in a single day of attacks
Source: Militarnyi | Photo: X @CarlOskar | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team
Today, the Coast Guard, with the help of the national task force and in cooperation with the relevant authorities, boarded a suspected false-flag cargo ship in Swedish waters.
The ship is on Ukraine’s sanctions list, the ownership structure is unclear and there is suspicion that insurance… pic.twitter.com/LrOYNFpQoj
— Carl-Oskar Bohlin (@CarlOskar) March 6, 2026
