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The Belgian navy has intercepted and seized a tanker suspected of forming part of Russia’s shadow fleet, used to circumvent EU sanctions, Euronews has learned.
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The operation was carried out by the Belgian Ministry of Defence in the country’s exclusive economic zone. Authorities say the vessel was sailing under a false flag and that its ship documents had been falsified. The tanker was identified as the Ethera, registered under the flag of Guinea.
“Belgium may be a small country, but we are among the founding fathers of NATO and the EU, and we take our responsibilities seriously,” Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said on social media.
French President Emmanuel Macron said French naval helicopters assisted Belgian forces during the boarding operation.
“Europeans are determined to cut off the sources of funding for Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine by enforcing sanctions,” Macron wrote on X.
The European Union has previously designated several dozen tankers as members of Russia’s shadow fleet. Those vessels are banned from docking at European ports.
