European Union countries have authorized naval vessels operating in the Mediterranean to stop and inspect foreign ships suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced on Monday. Speaking ahead of a meeting of EU defense ministers in Cyprus, Kallas said the bloc had expanded the mandate of Operation IRINI, the EU naval mission in the Mediterranean.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Our Operation IRINI has changed its rules of engagement and now allows the detention and inspection of ships,” Kallas said. She said the move is aimed not only at enforcing sanctions but also at improving maritime safety and reducing revenues Moscow could use to finance its war against Ukraine. Launched in March 2020, Operation IRINI was originally tasked with enforcing the UN arms embargo on Libya. The mission also monitors illicit oil exports, combats human trafficking, and trains the Libyan coast guard. It is headquartered in Rome. The decision comes as Brussels tightens pressure on Russia’s network of aging tankers and cargo vessels used to bypass Western restrictions on oil exports. The EU adopted its 20th sanctions package against Moscow earlier this year, targeting additional ships and services linked to Russian crude shipments. European countries have increasingly moved against vessels suspected of sanctions evasion. On May 31, French and British naval forces intercepted the tanker Tagor in the Atlantic Ocean. French authorities said the vessel had sailed from Murmansk under a false Cameroonian flag and may have been carrying Russian or Iranian oil in violation of sanctions.