EU Naval Forces Intercept Suspected Russian Tanker in Mediterranean

EU naval forces boarded a suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker in the Mediterranean on Friday, confirming the vessel was sailing under a false flag, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said. The EU’s naval mission in the Mediterranean, Operation IRINI, carried out the boarding, using powers under international maritime law. JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. Writing on X on Sunday, Kallas said: “The EU will keep disrupting Russia’s shadow fleet at sea and through diplomatic means.” She added that EU foreign ministers are expected to approve new Russia sanctions listings on Monday, targeting banks, oil buyers and companies supporting the shadow fleet. EU forces from @EUNAVFOR_MED IRINI boarded a suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker in the Mediterranean on 13 November. The boarding, conducted under Article 110 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, confirmed the MV MIDAG was sailing under a false flag. The EU will… pic.twitter.com/Emku8oRVNT— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) November 15, 2026 The shadow fleet consists of ageing, often underinsured tankers with opaque ownership structures, which Moscow uses to continue exporting oil despite Western sanctions imposed following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The vessels frequently operate under flags of convenience and use complex corporate networks to conceal the origin of their cargo and evade restrictions on shipping and insurance. European countries have grown increasingly alarmed over the security risks posed by the fleet and have stepped up efforts to disrupt the network, which also helps fund Russia’s war against Ukraine. Moscow has condemned the measures as hostile. TVP World is Poland's first English-language channel where you can find our guest interviews, world news from the Polish perspective and the latest news from the CEE region.