Belgium, with France's assistance, seizes suspected Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker

The seized Ethera vessel is docked at the naval base in Zeebrugge, Belgium, on March 1, 2026. NICOLAS MAETERLINCK / AFP

Belgium's special forces boarded and seized an oil tanker from the "shadow fleet" Russia uses to circumvent Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine, the government said on Sunday, March 1. Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said the vessel was intercepted in the North Sea during an overnight operation.

"Today, a vessel from Russia's shadow fleet was intercepted in the North Sea," Prévot wrote on X, thanking Belgian special forces for their "exceptional professionalism and courage."

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken said the intercepted tanker was "being escorted to the port of Zeebrugge, where it will be seized." Prosecutors identified the ship, which was said to be on its way back to Russia, as the Ethera. The tanker flew the flag of Guinea, but an on-board inspection confirmed suspicion that it was sailing under a false flag, they said.

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