EU Takes Direct Action Against Russia's Shadow Fleet

The European Union is stepping up efforts to curb Russia's shadow fleet. Member states have approved an expansion of Operation IRINI in the Mediterranean, allowing EU naval vessels to inspect ships suspected of transporting Russian oil in violation of sanctions, according to Guildhall.

The announcement was made by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas ahead of an informal meeting of EU defence ministers. She said the operation had already begun carrying out its first inspections.

The objective is to reduce Russia's oil export revenues, which Moscow uses to help finance its war against Ukraine.

The move expands the EU's toolkit against the so-called shadow fleet. Until now, measures have focused primarily on sanctions, port restrictions, insurance requirements and maritime monitoring. The new mandate adds the possibility of direct inspections of vessels suspected of sanctions evasion.

Operation IRINI was launched in 2020 to monitor compliance with the United Nations arms embargo on Libya. Its mandate is now being broadened to help enforce restrictions on Russian oil exports.

The shadow fleet refers to a network of tankers that use complex ownership structures, frequent flag changes and transit routes through third countries to obscure the origin of their cargo.

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