Belgian Forces Seize Russian Oil Tanker

0:00On March 1st, Belgian Special Forces seized an oil tanker called the Athera in the North Sea on Saturday night. The ship was flying a fake guinea flag and is part of Russia's shadow fleet, which dodges Western sanctions on oil exports tied to the Ukraine war. With help from French helicopters, troops boarded the vessel in Belgium's economic zone and escorted it to ZBrug Harbor for official confiscation. Prosecutors say the Russian captain is under questioning and fake documents were found aboard. This fleet uses old, often uninsured tankers under flags from places like Panama or the Comeros to ship crew to buyers in China and India, where it's refined and resold without tracing back to Russia. Leaders reacted quickly. Ukraine's president praised Belgium's bold move against Moscow's oil smuggling and thanked France. Belgium's Prime Minister hailed the military success while France's president called it a major hit to the shadow fleet. Western nations like the US, UK, France and Germany have ramped up patrols in the Baltic

1:03and North Sea this year, ready to board suspect ships. The fleet numbers around 1,000 to 1,200 vessels, over half now sanctioned, but they still pose risks like damaging undersea, cables or spying. As investigations continue, this action signals Europe's tougher stance, aiming to choke Russia's sanctioned busting routes and protect vital sea lanes. y