Lithuanian authorities are considering the possibility of transferring to Ukraine 17 Belarusian fire trucks seized in the port of Klaipeda while being shipped to Zimbabwe. Zimbabwean media write about this.
The fire trucks were reportedly seized in March last year due to sanctions against Belarus and the company that supplied them.
“Pre-trial investigations are ongoing and the prosecutor has ruled that 17 vehicles heading to Zimbabwe should be seized. The question of their possible supply to Ukraine is being considered.” – said the Prosecutor General of Lithuania, Nida Grunskienė.
According to her, the Zimbabwean authorities were informed of the decision through diplomatic channels.
“We are waiting to see if they exercise their right to appeal.” – he added.
Zimbabwe, for its part, said that the seizure of these vehicles has no legal basis. Representative of the Government of Zimbabwe Ndawaningi Mangwana He said the firefighting equipment was urgently needed for “firefighting operations, protection of life and property, and conservation of Zimbabwe’s World Heritage sites and critical crops that have withstood the devastating drought.” According to the country’s Attorney General Virginia Mabhiza, visited Lithuania in early 2024, where its request to return the firefighting equipment was rejected.
“We were told that the fire trucks or some of their components were manufactured by a Belarusian company that is under EU sanctions. Zimbabwe claims that we are an innocent third party that bought the fire trucks.” – said Mabhiza.
Recall that Belarus is under strict sanctions from Western countries, which have almost completely blocked the republic’s ability to ship its goods through the Baltic states. Previously, Belarusian property was confiscated only in Ukraine.
