Russia opposes EU naval plan against shadow fleet vessels

Russia on Wednesday condemned an EU decision to authorise EU military vessels in ​the Mediterranean to stop and inspect foreign ‌ships suspected of being part of a "shadow fleet" transporting Russian oil, and said it would take all necessary ​legal and other measures to protect them.

The ​EU said on Monday it had expanded ⁠the mandate of Operation IRINI, its naval mission ​in the Mediterranean that was originally set up ​to enforce a U.N. arms embargo on Libya.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said this posed a threat ​to maritime security and accused the EU of ​intimidating civilian vessels.

She said there was no such thing in ‌international ⁠law as a "shadow fleet", and this term was a "political fabrication" by the EU.

"The European Union's deployment of ships from the IRINI naval operation ​deployed in the ​Mediterranean to ⁠inspect or seize, as they now say, vessels carrying oil products ​would constitute a flagrant violation of international ​law," ⁠Zakharova told a press briefing.

"We reserve the right to use the full arsenal of political, legal, ⁠and ​other instruments at our disposal ​to protect maritime security and the legitimate interests of shippers and ​shipowners."

-Reuters