European Forces Seize Sixth Oil Tanker Linked to 'Russian Shadow Fleet'
Forces boarded the oil tanker MV SUN, EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said.
The European Union's naval force, EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, has boarded the sixth suspected Russian oil tanker, MV SUN, in the Mediterranean. The ship is believed to have falsified its flag, according to EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. This marks the sixth such seizure this year, as European forces strive to disrupt illegal oil sales funding Russia's Ukraine aggression.
Shadow fleet vessels, often aging and security risks, use false flags and shell companies to evade sanctions on oil exports. Kallas emphasized that illegal oil sales from these vessels are vital for Russia's war effort, and the EU will continue to curb these exports. A campaign group, Razom We Stand, acknowledged the seizure as a small step but criticized the limited enforcement and lack of confiscations.
EUNAVFOR MED IRINI's mandate includes safeguarding the EU's interests in the Mediterranean and inspecting vessels suspected of being stateless or fraudulently flagged. The operation has expanded to include interceptions in the Indian Ocean, and Russia has reacted negatively to the European campaign, describing it as piracy and robbery.
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