Suspected Russian shadow fleet oil tanker boarded by EU forces in the Mediterranean
"Illegal oil sales from shadow fleet ships are a critical lifeline for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and we’ll continue to cut them off," Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, said.
A European naval force intercepted a Russian oil tanker, believed to be operating under a false flag in the Mediterranean, according to EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas. The tanker, the MV SUN, was boarded on Sunday as part of Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, a European naval initiative. This is the sixth such interception by EU forces in recent months, Kallas noted on X, highlighting the presence of "shadow fleet" vessels with hidden ownership to circumvent Western sanctions against Russia.
EU defense ministers are set to discuss potential actions against the shadow fleet during a meeting in Ireland on Tuesday. In response to these interceptions, Russia's President Vladimir Putin has threatened retaliation, vowing to act against any European efforts to seize Russian commercial vessels. This comes after Russia's Prosecutor General Office labeled The Moscow Times as an undesirable organization, effectively criminalizing its operations and risking staff prosecution.
The newspaper, however, remains committed to providing unbiased reporting on Russia, despite facing such challenges, and appeals for support to continue its work.
Written by urgent.news from The Moscow Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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