Belgian military forces, supported by French forces, conducted an operation to intercept an oil tanker that, according to the Minister of Defense, belongs to Russia's so-called "shadow fleet."
The vessel is currently being escorted to the port of Zeebrugge, where it will be detained. <...> Belgium may be a small country, but we are founders of NATO and the EU, and we take our responsibilities seriously. After years of decline and abdication, Belgium has finally returned.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever thanked France for its assistance in conducting the operation, which was dubbed "Blue Breaker." Details about the vessel and the cargo's destination have not yet been disclosed.
The Russian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly rejected the very concept of a "shadow fleet," calling it a fiction, as there is no such category in international law. The Kremlin has characterized such actions by Western countries as "piracy of the 21st century."
Read more on this topic:
- Container ship that left St. Petersburg was detained by Denmark: it was under US sanctions
- New US sanctions: Russia's leading tanker carrier Sovcomflot denied participation in the "shadow fleet"
- Reuters: New US sanctions will hit Russia on the remnants of the shadow fleet and oil export capabilities