EU forces boarded a tanker belonging to the Russian Federation's shadow fleet
On August 30, in the Mediterranean Sea, as part of a special operation, European Union forces boarded the tanker MV SUN. The vessel is suspected of belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet” and of sailing under a false flag in violation of international maritime law.
This was reported by the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. She noted that the flag verification is being conducted by IRINI forces, and that the tanker is now the sixth such Russian vessel that EU forces have boarded in recent months.
Illegal oil sales from shadow fleet ships are a critical lifeline for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and we’ll continue to cut them off.
The oil tanker MV SUN, suspected of sailing under a false flag in violation of international maritime law, was boarded on August 30 in the Mediterranean… pic.twitter.com/6HNcOYNcdh— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) August 31, 2026
Countering the activities of Russia’s “shadow fleet” will be one of the topics of discussion during the meeting of European Union defense ministers in Ireland on September 1.
Source: Kaja Kallas, head of European diplomacy, in H.
The EU has published a full list of new sanctions against Russia.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry called for tougher sanctions following Russia’s attack on a tanker near Romania.
The EU will impose sanctions on Belarusian oil refineries for supplying gasoline to Russia.
