EU expands operations against Russia’s “shadow fleet” – Kallas

The European Union is stepping up its fight against Russia’s “shadow fleet” that Moscow uses to circumvent international sanctions. As part of the new measures, European naval missions have begun checking suspicious vessels at sea.

This was reported by Kaia Kallas.

According to her, on July 20, Operation IRINI forces boarded the oil tanker MV South Star, which is suspected of sailing under a foreign flag in violation of international maritime law.

Kallas emphasized that every illegal oil shipment helps finance the Russian military machine, which is why the EU is not only imposing sanctions, but also strengthening control over their implementation.

Meanwhile, EU member states this week allowed the ATALANTA naval operation to also conduct inspections of vessels that may be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” Kallas said, adding that this would further complicate the network of vessels that Russia uses to circumvent sanctions.

It should be noted thatRussia continues to expand its shadow fleet for transporting liquefied natural gas , which is under US sanctions. Four more tankers, previously owned by Oman, have been added to the transports.

Recall that in January, China increased imports of Russian oil through tankers of the so-called shadow fleet , while India significantly reduced purchases.