A tanker suspected of belonging to the “shadow fleet” — vessels that transport Russian oil to get around sanctions — was boarded in the Mediterranean Sea.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said troops from the EU’s IRINI mission boarded the tanker MV Sun in the Mediterranean on August 30 on suspicion that the vessel was sailing under a false flag.
Kallas said it was the sixth suspicious tanker IRINI forces have boarded in recent months.
EU defense ministers are set to discuss measures to combat the “shadow fleet” at a meeting in Ireland on September 1, she said.
-
In early August, Italian naval personnel boarded the tanker Toa Payoh — suspected of belonging to the ‘shadow fleet’ — for inspection. The French military has also said it detained several tankers.
-
The IRINI mission was established in 2020 to monitor compliance with the arms embargo on Libya; its mandate was expanded in 2026 to include combating the “shadow fleet.”