Belgian armed forces, with French support, conducted a spectacular operation to seize a tanker suspected of belonging to the Russian 'shadow fleet'. The incident occurred in the waters of the North Sea near Ostend. The ship, whose identity was concealed, was transporting oil in violation of sanctions. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described this move as a decisive blow to the mechanisms financing Russian aggression, calling on other European countries to take similar actions.

Boarding off Ostend

Belgian and French units seized a Russian shadow fleet tanker after a night operation with helicopter support.

President Zelenskyy's Appeal

The Ukrainian leader called on European countries to massively seize vessels transporting Russian oil.

Sanctions Violation

The ship is suspected of transporting oil in violation of price caps and lacking proper insurance documentation.

On Saturday night into Sunday, Belgian special forces, supported by aircraft and the French navy, boarded a transport vessel suspected of circumventing international trade restrictions. The operation took place off the port of Ostend and was the result of prolonged intelligence surveillance. As the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister informed, the seized vessel is part of the so-called shadow fleet, which allows Russia to export raw materials despite the price cap on oil introduced by Western countries. These actions were met with an immediate reaction from Kyiv. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to European Union countries to systematically seize such vessels, arguing that striking maritime logistics is the most effective way of depriving the Kremlin of funds to continue waging war. Representatives of the Belgian government announced that this is only the beginning of a campaign to eliminate dangerous and illegal transports from the territorial waters of the Benelux countries. Some sources also point to links between the seized vessel and the Iranian supply system, shedding new light on the scale of international cooperation among countries circumventing sanctions. Since 2022, the European Union and G7 countries have introduced a series of embargoes and a price cap mechanism on Russian oil, which prompted Moscow to expand its unofficial fleet of tankers operating under third-country flags.This situation also raises serious environmental concerns. These vessels often turn off their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and conduct risky fuel transfer operations on the open sea, risking a natural disaster. The seizure of the vessel off Ostend is interpreted as a signal of a tightening policy on controlling maritime routes by NATO countries. The detained tanker will undergo detailed technical and legal inspection, and its crew will be interrogated to determine the ultimate beneficiaries of the transport. „Це історичний момент. Рішення Бельгії завдати удару по тіньовому флоту – це ще один крок до справедливого миру.” (This is a historic moment. Belgium's decision to strike the shadow fleet is another step towards a just peace.) — Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Mentioned People

  • Wołodymyr Zełenski — President of Ukraine, who called for the seizure of Russian tankers.
  • Emmanuel Macron — President of France, confirmed the participation of French forces in the operation.