EU Naval Mission Expands to Intercept Russian Shadow Tankers in Indian Ocean
The European Union has expanded its naval mission in the Indian Ocean to include the interception and boarding of Russian shadow fleet tankers suspected of operating under false flags. This decision, announced by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, extends the powers of Operation Atalanta, the EU's counter-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa. The mission will now conduct flag-verification boardings of vessels suspected of being part of Russia's shadow fleet, which is used to sell oil above the Western-imposed price cap. This move follows similar actions by the EU's Mediterranean mission, Operation Irini, which recently boarded the sanctioned oil tanker MV South Star. The expanded mandate aims to tighten the net around the shadow fleet, a network of tankers with opaque ownership structures. 
