Zimbabwe’s seized fire trucks: Lithuania planning to send them to Ukraine instead

By Agencies

Lithuania is contemplating the donation of 17 fire engines to Ukraine, vehicles that were impounded last year while en route from Belarus to Zimbabwe.

The decision to confiscate these fire engines stems from ongoing sanctions against both the manufacturer and Zimbabwe itself.

Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda reported on Sunday that Lithuania’s prosecutor general Nida Grunskienė has confirmed that a pre-trial investigation is ongoing and that the prosecutor has initiated the process of confiscating the vehicles.

“Yes, a pre-trial investigation is being conducted, and the prosecutor has decided, if I’m not mistaken, that the 17 vehicles that were to be shipped to Zimbabwe should be confiscated and the issue of their possible delivery to Ukraine is being considered,” said Lithuania’s Prosecutor General Nida Grunskienė.

The fire engines were detained at the Klaipėda seaport in March 2023 after concerns arose regarding the sanctions imposed on the Belarusian company that manufactured them.

According to Grunskienė, the decision to confiscate the vehicles has been communicated to Zimbabwe’s prosecutor’s office through diplomatic channels.

“We have a decision by the prosecutor in which we are informing the Zimbabwean prosecutor’s office that these 17 fire engines have been confiscated because the company that manufactured these vehicles is subject to sanctions and Zimbabwe itself is also subject to sanctions,” Grunskienė said.

The Zimbabwean authorities recently urged Lithuania to return the fire engines, which were purchased by Zimbabwe from Belarus prior to their impoundment.

Zimbabwe’s attorney general visited Lithuania earlier this year to formally request the return of the vehicles, underscoring the African nation’s interest in reclaiming them.