Belgium Seizes Russian 'Shadow Fleet' Tanker
Belgian armed forces have seized a Russian oil tanker in the North Sea, believed to be part of a "shadow fleet" used to bypass Western sanctions. The operation signals Europe's hardening stance on enforcing energy sanctions against the Kremlin.
The seized tanker, identified as the "Ethera," was boarded by Belgian special forces in the North Sea with support from the French Navy. The vessel was operating under a false flag from Guinea and was escorted to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge. A criminal investigation is now underway, and the ship's Russian captain is being questioned by authorities. This operation is part of a broader European effort to crack down on Russia's "shadow fleet," a term for a flotilla of aging tankers with opaque ownership used to transport Russian oil and circumvent international sanctions. These vessels often engage in deceptive practices like turning off their tracking systems to go "dark" and conducting ship-to-ship transfers of oil at sea. The size of this fleet is estimated to be over 600 ships. The sanctions, imposed by the G7, European Union, and Australia, include a price cap of $60 per barrel on Russian seaborne crude oil. This measure is designed to limit Moscow's revenue for its war in Ukraine while keeping oil flowing to the global market. Western companies are prohibited from providing insurance and other maritime services to vessels carrying Russian oil sold above this cap. The seizure of the Ethera signals a more assertive stance from European nations. In January, France intercepted another suspected shadow fleet tanker named the Grinch in the Mediterranean. These actions follow growing concerns that the shadow fleet is not only used for sanctions evasion but also for potential sabotage and espionage activities as part of a "hybrid war."
