The EUNAVFOR MED IRINI operation, active in the Mediterranean, boarded the Russia-linked MV SUN oil tanker on Sunday. The action was carried out to verify the vessel’s flag.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the tanker was suspected of possibly sailing under a false flag. According to Kallas, MV SUN became the sixth suspected shadow-fleet vessel inspected by EU operations in recent months.
Shadow-fleet measures to be discussed in Ireland
The term shadow fleet refers to vessels whose ownership information is not transparent and which are considered to be used to circumvent Western sanctions against Russia.
EU defense ministers are expected to discuss possible measures against these vessels at a meeting in Ireland on September 1.
Mechanism to seize Russian oil
In July, the EU adopted a mechanism enabling member states to seize and sell Russian oil carried by shadow-fleet vessels attempting to circumvent sanctions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said they would respond if European countries implemented plans to seize Russian commercial vessels. Putin had previously said that he had instructed the Russian Defense Ministry to prepare a response, and had described earlier interventions involving Russia-linked vessels as “piracy.”
IRINI’s inspection authority expanded
EUNAVFOR MED IRINI was launched in 2020 to enforce the United Nations arms embargo on Libya. EU governments later expanded the operation’s scope and authorized inspections of vessels for verification purposes.
The EU has placed approximately 600 vessels suspected of being linked to Russia’s shadow-fleet network on its sanctions list.
