EU intercepts Russian shadow fleet tanker in Mediterranean
MV South Star interception, July 20 (Photo: Kaja Kallas / Twitter)
European forces deployed in the Mediterranean Sea under Operation
IRINI have intercepted and boarded a Russian shadow
fleet tanker on July 20, EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on July
22.
“The oil tanker MV SOUTH STAR, suspected of sailing under false flag in breach of international maritime law, has been boarded on 20 July by Operation EUNAVFOR IRINI forces for flag verification,” Kallas wrote in a Twitter post.
“Every illicit voyage helps sustain Russia's war machine. We are matching our sanctions with action at sea.”
She also said that EU member states this week authorized forces from EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta, which operates in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, to begin boarding vessels to verify their flag if they are suspected to belong to Russia’s shadow fleet, as Operation IRINI does.
In early June 2026 the European Union granted Operation IRINI the authority to stop and inspect vessels suspected of belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet. According to Kallas, the goal is not only to enforce sanctions on Russia but also to strengthen maritime security and reduce revenues the Kremlin could use to finance the war against Ukraine.
Operation IRINI, headquartered in Rome, was launched in
March 2020. It was initially set up to enforce the UN arms embargo on Libya.
The mission also monitors illicit oil exports and works to prevent human
trafficking.
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