EU Detains Another Tanker Linked to Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’
The European Union announced the detention of another tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s “shadow fleet”, bringing the total number of vessels detained this year to five. The MV South Star was stopped on July 20 as part of the naval operation IRINI, on suspicion of violating international maritime law.
According to vessel tracking systems, the tanker sails under the flag of Cameroon and was located in the western Mediterranean Sea, heading towards Tunisia after inspection. This is not the first time a tanker has been detained by EU countries and the UK this year; France has been particularly active in detaining vessels suspected of circumventing sanctions.
French Authorities Lead the Charge
France has detained three tankers since the beginning of the year, with two being released later. In January, the Grinch was stopped, followed by the Deyna in March. However, it’s not just France that’s taking action; British marines have also been involved in detaining vessels.
On May 31, French naval forces, supported by the UK, detained the tanker Tagor in the Atlantic Ocean. The vessel was traveling from the Russian port of Ust-Luga under a false Cameroonian flag and carrying approximately 100,000 tons of Urals oil valued at around 35 million pounds sterling.
Smyrtos: A Notable Detention
The fourth vessel detained was the tanker Smyrtos, which was stopped by British marines in the English Channel on June 14. The vessel was traveling from Russia under a Cameroonian flag and carrying about 100,000 tons of Urals oil. UK authorities considered selling this oil, and the ship’s captain, Indian citizen Ajay Pant, was accused of violating the sanctions regime.
Operation IRINI Expands Its Reach
Operation IRINI has been conducted in the central Mediterranean Sea since 2020, initially aimed at monitoring the implementation of the UN arms embargo on Libya, combating illegal oil trade, and human trafficking. Kaja Kallas announced that EU countries have expanded the powers of another naval mission, Atalanta, allowing it to conduct similar vessel inspections off the coast of Somalia.
The Russian “shadow fleet” refers to vessels used to transport Russian oil, oil products, and liquefied natural gas in circumvention of international sanctions.
Original Article: Tanker of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ detained in EU — already the fifth this year — Nashaniva