Belgium detains tanker belonging to russia's ‘shadow fleet’

This was reported by RTBF, according to European Pravda.

The oil tanker was sailing off the Belgian coast when it was intercepted around midnight. The ship is believed to belong to the ‘shadow fleet,’ a network of ships operating outside international rules to circumvent economic sanctions, particularly those targeting russian oil exports.

According to information gathered by RTBF from several sources, Belgium arrested the oil tanker Ethera during the night. The 180-metre-long vessel, built in 2008, was sailing under the Guinean flag and was arriving from La Manche. It was intercepted off the coast of Ostend.

"Over the past few hours, our armed forces, with the support of the French armed forces, have seized an oil tanker belonging to the russian shadow fleet. The vessel is now being escorted to the port of Zeebrugge, where it will be arrested," Defence Minister Theo Francken wrote on social media shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Sunday.

The Belgian Defence Minister added: ‘Operation Blue Invasion was carried out by a team of soldiers who showed exemplary courage. Excellent work.’ This is the first such operation for the country.

"I congratulate our armed forces on their professional and decisive actions during last night's successful operation and thank our French partners for their valuable support. Belgium will always ensure compliance with international maritime law and will respond decisively to any violations of the security of its territorial waters," said Prime Minister Bart De Wever.

Annelies Verlinden, Minister of Justice and the North Sea, emphasises that "for the first time, an oil tanker has been intercepted at sea on the basis of intelligence that identified it as a ship sailing under a false flag and therefore belonging to the “shadow fleet”.

The vessel detained by Belgium has been on the European list of vessels whose activities should be ‘restricted’ since October 2025 on the grounds that they ‘are part of the shadow fleet of oil tankers or contribute to russia's energy revenues,’ which ‘depends on energy revenues to finance its illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.’

Ethera is described as a vessel that transports ‘crude oil, petroleum products or mineral materials originating in or exported from russia, while engaging in irregular and high-risk maritime transport [...]’. Among the restrictions is a ban on access to European ports.

According to the US Treasury Department, the vessel belongs to the maritime empire of the son of a senior Iranian official.

The ship is also on the list of entities sanctioned by the US Treasury Department. In a press release from July 2025, the US linked Ethera ‘to a vast maritime empire controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani.’

Hossein Shamkhani is the son of Ali Shamkhani, senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader, who, according to the Israeli army, was killed in Saturday's strikes.

According to the US Treasury Department, ‘Hossein uses his father's corruption and political influence at the highest levels of the Iranian regime to create and operate a vast fleet of oil tankers and container ships.’

Source: European Pravda, RTBF