Warships from the European Union's naval mission IRINI boarded the tanker MV SUN in the Mediterranean Sea on August 30, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. The vessel is suspected of sailing under a false flag and violating international maritime law, she added.
Kallas called illegal oil sales from shadow fleet vessels a "critically important artery" for Russia's war in Ukraine and vowed to continue disrupting such shipments. This was the sixth suspicious tanker detained by IRINI participants in recent months, she noted. Earlier, Italian military personnel inspected the tanker Toa Payoh, and French forces checked several other vessels.
Measures to combat the "shadow fleet" will be discussed by EU defense ministers at a meeting in Ireland. IRINI was established in 2020 to enforce the arms embargo on Libya; its mandate was later expanded.
In Russia, the detentions are described as "robbery," with officials noting that the term "shadow fleet" does not exist in international maritime law.