Video: EU forces board and seize 'Russian shadow fleet' oil tanker

A coordinated EU naval operation saw Belgian and French forces stop and board a tanker described by Belgian minister of defence Theo Francken as "a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker".

The interdiction took place in the North Sea, according to French President Emmanuel Macron, whose French Navy helicopters aided in the boarding in the early hours of 1 March.

"Europeans are determined to cut off the sources of funding for Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine by enforcing sanctions," Mr Macron said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Mr Francken praised the work of the combined forces in what he called ’Operation Blue Intruder’. 

"Over the past few hours, our armed forces, with the support of the French Defence, have boarded an oil tanker belonging to the Russian shadow fleet. The vessel is currently being escorted to the port of Zeebrugge, where it will be seized. Operation Blue Intruder was carried out by a team of exceptionally brave service members. Excellent work," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his own X post on the incident that the vessel has transported Russian oil using a false flag and forged documents while under US, EU, and UK sanctions. Mr Zelenskyy, whose country has faced invasion and relentless attack in a Russian territorial war that has lasted more than four years, urged the EU to ’modernise’ its legislation to enforce sanctions infractions with vessel seizures.

"We welcome this strong action against Moscow’s floating purse and thank France for supporting the operation. It is also important to modernise European legislation so that tankers carrying Russian oil are not just stopped but seized, with their oil repurposed for Europe’s security. We must be resolute. Russia operates like a mafia organisation, and the response must match that reality. If they reject the rules for the sake of war, the rules must foresee a clear and firm answer," he said.

Although the vessel’s identity does not appear to have been confirmed, multiple authoritative maritime accounts on Twitter have speculated that the vessel could be 46,600-DWT Ethera.

Using multiple online databases including ship trackers and Equasis, for vessel details including a false flag from Guniea, Windward AI’s Michelle Wiese Bockmann and @BartGonnissen, a senior maritime pilot located in Belgium concluded the vessel "Ethera (IMO 9387279) seems to be a likely candidate".

"Was proceeding E-bound through the English Channel and is now stopped on the edge of the Belgian EEZ," the @BartGonnissen account posted.