Belgian and French armed forces seized an oil tanker suspected of belonging to Russia's shadow fleet in the North Sea on Saturday night. The vessel, named Ethera, was flying a false Guinean flag and using forged documents while operating in Belgium's exclusive economic zone, according to Belgian officials.

Belgian special forces boarded the 2007-built product tanker, identified by IMO number 9387279, with assistance from French Navy helicopters in a clandestine operation. The Ethera has been under sanctions from the EU since 2025, the US since last July, and the UK more recently for involvement in transporting Russian oil and sanctioned Iranian trades. Prosecutors suspect it was circumventing Western sanctions imposed over Russia's war in Ukraine.

The tanker was escorted to the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, where it docked at the naval base for official confiscation, Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken announced Sunday. "Over the past few hours, our armed forces, with the support of the French Defence, have boarded an oil tanker belonging to the Russian shadow fleet," Francken wrote on social media. He added, "Without his shadow fleet, Putin can't wage war against innocent Ukrainians. So we take these vessels out. One by one. Until his war of aggression stops."

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the French Navy's role, stating on X that helicopters contributed to the boarding and calling the action a "major blow" to Russia's shadow fleet. "Europeans are determined to cut off the sources of funding for Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine by enforcing sanctions," Macron said.

Belgium's federal prosecutor's office opened a criminal investigation, with the Russian captain currently being questioned. The Russian embassy in Belgium said it had not been notified beforehand and was seeking information on any Russian nationals aboard.

Russia's shadow fleet comprises hundreds of aging tankers with opaque ownership, often uninsured and flying flags of convenience like Guinea, to ship discounted crude oil to buyers in China and India despite a Western price cap and bans. The EU has blacklisted dozens of such vessels. These ships pose environmental risks due to their poor condition and have been linked to the sabotage of undersea cables.

The operation, possibly part of broader efforts such as Operation Blue Intruder, coordinated with G7, Nordic, and Baltic partners, marks one of Europe's first direct interceptions of the fleet in the North Sea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the seizure, thanking France for its support. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever and Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prévot also praised the forces involved, emphasizing the enforcement of international maritime law.