Belgian Forces Board Russian-Linked Tanker Suspected of Evading Sanctions
Belgian armed forces, with support from French military personnel, have taken control of the Ethera, a tanker linked to a Russian “shadow fleet,” Defense Minister Theo Francken announced Sunday. “In recent hours, our armed forces, with the support of French military personnel, boarded a tanker belonging to the Russian shadow fleet. The vessel is currently being escorted to the port of Zeebrugge, where it will be detained,” Francken wrote on X.
The operation, dubbed “Blue Intruder,” was carried out by a team of “extremely courageous” military personnel, according to Francken. He also thanked several members of the federal government – Annelies Verlinden (justice and North Sea), Bernard Quintin (interior), Jean-Luc Crucke (mobility, climate and environmental transition) and Maxime Prévot (foreign affairs) – “for the excellent cooperation.” Francken also expressed his gratitude to his French counterpart, Catherine Vautrin, Minister of the Armed Forces.
Prime Minister Bart De Wever also reacted on X, offering “congratulations to our armed forces for their professional and determined action during last night’s successful operation, as well as my thanks to our French partners for their valuable support.” Francken indicated that further information would be released Sunday.
French President Emmanuel Macron also hailed the operation on X, stating: “Blow to the shadow fleet: in the North Sea, our Navy helicopters contributed overnight to the boarding by Belgian forces of a tanker under international sanctions. Europeans are determined to cut off the sources of funding for Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine by enforcing sanctions.”
The Ethera was added to the European Union’s list of sanctioned entities in October 2025, due to its alleged connection to Russia’s shadow fleet and its contribution to Moscow’s energy revenues. The EU maintains that Russia relies on these revenues to finance its ongoing military aggression against Ukraine. The vessel also appears on a list of sanctioned entities maintained by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. A July 2025 statement from Washington linked the Ethera to “the vast maritime empire controlled by Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani.” Shamkhani is the son of Ali Shamkhani, an influential advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, who the Israeli military reported was killed in a strike Saturday.
