Lithuania seized Belarusian fire trucks bought by Zimbabwe and plans to transfer them to Ukraine
Lithuania is considering the possibility of redirecting 17 Belarus-made fire trucks, originally purchased by Zimbabwe and confiscated in the port of Klaipeda, to Ukraine, BelTA reports with reference to ZimLive
Lithuanian authorities said that the fire trucks were confiscated in March 2023 due to sanctions against Belarus and the company that supplied them.
“A pre-trial investigation is ongoing, and the prosecutor has ruled that 17 vehicles that were to go to Zimbabwe should be confiscated, and the issue of their possible transfer to Ukraine is being decided,” Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene noted, adding that the Zimbabwean authorities had been informed of the decision through diplomatic channels. “We are waiting to see if they will exercise their right to appeal,” Ms. Grunskiene added.
Zimbabwe has stated that the seizure of the vehicles has no legal basis. Zimbabwe’s Attorney General Virginia Mabhiza visited Lithuania in early 2024, where she was denied a request to return fire equipment.
“They explained to us that the fire trucks or some of their components were manufactured by a Belarusian company under the EU sanctions. Zimbabwe claims that we are an innocent third party who bought fire trucks,” Virginia Mabhiza noted.
Zimbabwe’s government spokesperson Ndabaningi Nick Mangwana said firefighting equipment is urgently needed to ‘carry out firefighting operations, protect life and property, and preserve Zimbabwe’s World Heritage sites and important crops that have survived the devastating drought’.