Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken announced that his navy boarded and diverted a vessel believed to be part of Russia’s illicit shadow fleet on Sunday.
Francken said the ship was being taken to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge, where it will be officially seized by Belgian authorities.
The tanker, named Ethera, was captured Sunday by Belgian and French forces and is suspected of sailing under a “false flag and false documents.” “Over the past few hours, our armed forces, with the support of the French Defense, have boarded an oil tanker belonging to the Russian shadow fleet,” Francken wrote on X. “The vessel is currently being escorted to the port of Zeebrugge, where it will be seized.”
French President Emmanuel Macron posted video footage of naval forces taking control of the Ethera in the North Sea, calling the operation a “major blow” to Russia’s shadow fleet. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the seizure: “We welcome this strong action against Moscow’s floating purse and thank France for supporting the operation,” he wrote on X.
Russia’s so-called shadow fleet consists of often older tankers with unclear ownership documentation used to evade international sanctions and export crude oil to buyers prepared to purchase discounted, possibly illicit cargoes—helping sustain Russia’s economy and its war in Ukraine. Francken said: “Without his shadow fleet Putin can’t wage war against innocent Ukrainians. So we take these vessels out. One by one. Until his war of aggression stops,” adding that Belgium takes its responsibilities seriously.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever also praised the armed forces for the “successful operation last night,” thanked France, and said Belgium would uphold international maritime law and the security of its territorial waters.
Belgium recently drew criticism from EU partners after opposing the seizure of Russian assets frozen in Europe to finance loans to Ukraine. De Wever defended his stance, citing serious legal and financial risks to Belgium if those assets—the largest share of which (about €180 billion) are held in the country—were seized.
Edited by: Rana Taha