Belgium has imposed a €10 million ($11.61 million) bail on Russian oil tanker Ethera, which it seized on Sunday, the government said on Tuesday. The North Sea ministry said the tanker was part of a Russian “shadow fleet” sailing with a false flag and false documents.
"Forty-five violations were identified. These mainly involved false certificates, stemming from the discovery that the ship was sailing under a false Guinean flag," it said in a statement.
The Ethera can sail again only after the sum is paid and a follow-up inspection confirms compliance, including securing a flag state, obtaining valid certificates and fixing the technical issues.
"Our government is taking firm action against vessels in the shadow fleet. With this operation, we are enforcing EU sanctions, protecting the North Sea, and curbing the financing of Russia’s war in Ukraine," Defence Minister Theo Francken said.
Western sanctions imposed on Russia for invading Ukraine and aimed at cutting its oil revenues have led to the rise of a "shadow fleet" of tankers helping Moscow to keep its crude exports flowing.
Ethera is on the European Union's sanctions list. The Russian embassy in Belgium did not immediately reply to a request for comment, but Moscow has previously called the seizure of its tankers or vessels carrying its cargoes an act of piracy.
“Shadow fleet” vessels typically have opaque ownership structures and have raised concern about possible environmental risks, with poorly regulated, ageing tankers prone to spills, mechanical failures, and leaks, threatening marine ecosystems.
(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Susan Fenton and Tomasz Janowski)
