Sweden released the detained tanker Sea Owl I with a Russian on board

Brief retelling from RIA II

Swedish authorities have released the Sea Owl I tanker, which was detained in March, and the vessel can continue its journey.

The tanker Sea Owl I has been anchored off Trelleborg since March but has now been cleared to leave the site and continue sailing.

Two of the previously detained cargo ships - the bulk carrier Caffa and the tanker Jin Hui - still remain in Sweden with a ban on operation.

MOSCOW, October 12 - RIA Novosti. Swedish authorities have released the tanker Sea Owl I, which was detained in March, and the ship can continue its journey, the kingdom's coast guard reported.

The Swedish Coast Guard seized the Comorian-flagged tanker Sea Owl I on March 12 on suspicion of using a false flag. Russian Ambassador to Sweden Sergei Belyaev previously told RIA Novosti that the authorities detained the ship itself, but not the sailors from its crew, including a Russian citizen.

"The Sea Owl I, which has been anchored off the coast of Trelleborg since March, has been allowed to leave its location and continue sailing," the coastguard said in a statement on its website.

It clarifies that the Swedish Transport Agency has decided to lift the ban on the use of the vessel. According to the coast guard, the ship changed its flag to Equatorial Guinea.

The coast guard also said that two of the previously detained cargo ships - the bulk carrier Caffa and the tanker Jin Hui - still remain in Sweden with a ban on operation.

Earlier, Belyaev said in an interview with RIA Novosti that Sweden has detained a total of five cargo ships since the end of 2025, the crews of which included Russians, among others. According to the head of the diplomatic mission, the authorities were unable to bring a single real charge in connection with the detention of commercial ships in Swedish territorial waters.