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EU Proposes Sanctions on Three Firms Supplying Fake Flags to Russia’s Shadow Fleet
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The European Union has proposed sanctions against three companies accused of supplying false flags to Russian oil tankers operating in the so-called shadow fleet, Bloomberg reported on October 13.
The companies allegedly issued fake flags from Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten to at least eight vessels already under sanctions. None of these territories appear in the Paris registry of official flags, indicating that they do not formally provide flag services.
In May, the Netherlands warned the International Maritime Organization that some companies were issuing “fraudulent certificates” on behalf of Sint Maarten.
The proposed restrictions are part of the EU’s latest sanctions package, which is still under negotiation among member states. The bloc is seeking to tighten pressure on Russia’s shadow fleet and reduce Moscow’s oil revenues.
The package also includes sanctions on roughly 120 additional vessels, bringing the total number of targeted entities to more than 560, along with restrictions on third-country firms that facilitate Russia’s energy trade.
Some EU capitals are stepping up enforcement measures to disrupt Russian oil flows further. France, for example, recently detained a ship for failing to prove its nationality. President Emmanuel Macron said at an EU summit in Copenhagen that stopping suspicious tankers could hamper the operations of Russia’s shadow fleet.
Previously, it was reported that at least five tankers from Russia’s shadow fleet leaked oil into European waters over the past year, according to an investigation by Politico and the journalist network SourceMaterial.
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