The Belgian armed forces have seized the oil tanker Ethera—believed to be part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” targeted by European Union sanctions—in a large-scale military operation. After troops boarded and secured the vessel, it was escorted to the port of Zeebrugge.
According to authorities, the ship was sailing under the Guinean flag but is suspected of being linked to Russian interests. Belgian military command had been monitoring the tanker due to suspicious routes between Russia and South America, during which it reportedly switched off its tracking systems and operated under multiple flags.
A total of 93 soldiers and one military service dog took part in the operation. Boarding began shortly before midnight, and within just over an hour the vessel was fully secured. The 21 crew members were identified, and the tanker was towed to Zeebrugge on the morning of Sunday, March 1st, where it was formally seized.
According to the Belgian Ministry of Defence, the operation was conducted in accordance with EU sanctions and aimed to disrupt the activities of Russia’s “shadow fleet“—which Moscow is believed to use to circumvent energy trading restrictions.
