March 16, 2026
Swedish maritime authorities have two alleged Russian shadow fleet captains in custody, and impounded the two tankers they skippered, for violations of sanctions on the Kremlin for its war in Ukraine.
Swedish authorities detained another captain of the suspected Russian shadow fleet, after boarding the Sea Owl I tanker he skippered on March 12, according to Sydsvenskan, citing senior prosecutor Adrien Combier-Hogg.
The captain of the Sea Owl I vessel is suspected of using false documents, classified as a serious crime under Swedish law, the prosecution authority wrote in a press release on Sunday, March 15. The vessel is suspected of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet, violating sanctions imposed on the Kremlin for its full-scale invasion beginning February 2022.
On Thursday evening, March 12, in Swedish territorial waters, the Swedish Coast Guard boarded the Sea Owl I vessel, suspected of sailing under a false flag.
The captain, 54, who is from Russia, is now in custody and has denied the charges in his version of the story, reported by SVT, but according to the prosecutor the evidence is watertight. In the coming week, the captain will be held for further questioning, possibly along with several members of the crew.
On Saturday, March 14, the Russian Embassy in Stockholm posted updated information on Telegram that the crew of the Sea Owl 1 consisted of 24 sailors. Ten of them, including the captain, are Russian citizens, the rest are Indonesian. A representative of the Russian Embassy spoke with the captain by telephone and will provide the Russian sailors with all necessary consular assistance.
On March 6, the Coast Guard, with the support of Swedish National Task Force, took control of another cargo vessel, the Caffa, near Trelleborg, Sweden, in the same area as Sea Bowl 1 was boarded.
The Caffa was later placed under an international ban on use, decided by the Swedish Transport Agency. The captain of the Caffa, also a Russian citizen, was detained on March 10. He is suspected of several violations of the Maritime Act and the use of false documents.
According to the Swedish Coast Guard the Sea Bowl I was sailing en route to Primorsk, Russia and the Caffa vessel was bound for St. Petersburg. The two ships are currently anchored outside Trelleborg, Sweden, both prohibited from leaving anchorage by the Swedish Transport Agency.
The captains of both ships are currently in Swedish custody.
https://www.kyivpost.com/post/72026