Dogs and special forces: How Belgium intercepted Russian shadow fleet tanker
Illustrative photo: Belgium detained a Russian shadow flee tanker (Getty Images)
Belgian military forces detained the oil tanker Ethera in the North Sea, which is part of Russia’s shadow fleet. The vessel, which was transporting crude under a false Guinean flag, was towed to the port of Zeebrugge, reports RTBF.
Read also: Zelenskyy proposes confiscation of Russian shadow fleet vessels
Details of the special operation at sea
The large-scale operation to detain the 180-meter tanker took place on the night of Sunday, March 1. It involved 93 servicemen, service dogs, and the French Navy. After boarding, inspectors confirmed the use of a foreign flag and discovered forged shipping documents.
According to Belgium’s Chief of Defense, General Frederik Vansina, the tanker had been monitored for a long time.
The vessel had characteristic features of the shadow fleet: regular voyages between Russia and South America, frequent shutdowns of identification systems, and constant changes of flags.
A major blow to the shadow fleet: in the North Sea, our French Navy helicopters helped last night in the boarding by Belgian forces of an oil tanker under international sanctions.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 1, 2026
Europeans are determined to cut off the sources of funding for Russia’s war of aggression… pic.twitter.com/CnoxyND7BB
Geopolitical significance and sanctions
Belgium’s Defense Minister Theo Francken confirmed that Ethera appears on the EU sanctions lists as a vessel linked to Russian oil sales schemes. He noted serious indications of deception and a deliberate violation of international restrictions.
Belgium became the second EU country after France to arrest an oil tanker from Moscow’s shadow fleet. The federal prosecutor’s office has now opened a case over violations of the shipping code, and 21 crew members have already been identified.
Russia’s shadow fleet
Today, Belgium intercepted a tanker from Russia’s shadow fleet for the first time. The vessel was sent to the port of Zeebrugge for further arrest.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the detention of the tanker, calling it a “floating purse of Moscow.” He called on European partners to confiscate such vessels and use their cargo for Europe’s security needs.
