Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
It’s the sixth suspected shadow fleet vessel to be boarded in the past couple of months.
Armed personnel from an EU naval patrol climbed aboard an oil tanker named the MV SUN in the Mediterranean Sea on Monday. They acted after inspectors suspected the ship was flying a false flag, possibly as part of the Russian shadow fleet.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas confirmed the operation on X. Speaking publicly, she noted that inspectors targeted the tanker for immediate flag checks.
“This is the sixth suspected shadow fleet vessel boarded by our EU operations in recent months,” Kallas wrote.
Officials suspect these older ships use shell companies to hide their true owners while transporting Russian crude oil.
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Deepening the crackdown
European governments want to choke off revenues driving the war in Ukraine. Unregistered tankers often bypass strict Western price caps.
“Illegal oil sales from shadow fleet ships are a critical lifeline for Russia’s war in Ukraine,” Kallas added, “and we’ll continue to cut them off.”
According to The Moscow Times, the EU naval mission operates under the Mediterranean initiative known as Operation Irini. The mission began back in 2020 to enforce a UN arms embargo on Libya, but European leaders recently widened its powers.
Under international law, warships can inspect any vessel suspected of flying a fake flag.
Meanwhile, European defense leaders plan to discuss stronger enforcement during a summit in Ireland on Tuesday. The bloc has already blacklisted roughly 600 ships.
Angry Russian warnings
The mounting pressure has sparked fierce pushback from Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin previously slammed European interceptions as “piracy” and warned that his military could respond in kind.
Even so, allied forces are expanding their presence far beyond southern waters. British warships recently tracked Russian cargo vessels through the English Channel, according to Reuters.
These close escorts force shadow ships onto longer, more costly routes around Europe.
