On the night of March 1, Belgium detained an oil tanker belonging to russia's shadow fleet. This was announced by Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken.
According to him, Belgian and French forces boarded the ship as part of Operation Blue Intruder. They are escorting it to the port of Zeebrugge, where the ship will be seized.
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Franken noted that without the shadow fleet, russian dictator Vladimir Putin will not be able to continue war against Ukraine. Therefore, Europe must take decisive action against these ships, one by one.
"Belgium maybe a small country. But we are founding father of NATO and the EU and we take our responsability serious. After years of decline and abdication, Belgium is finaly back. When it matters, we don't hide. We show up," Francken stated.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever congratulated the army on the successful night operation and thanked the French partners. He emphasized that Belgium will uphold international maritime law and take decisive action against any violations of its territorial waters.
At the same time, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Andrii Sybiha thanked Belgium for its decisive step and noted that such actions are justified and necessary to deprive russia of the resources to continue the war.
"I am grateful to my colleague, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxime Prevot and the entire Belgian government, military and security forces, as well as G7, Nordic and Baltic partners, who backed the operation, for their decisiveness and professionalism," Sybiha stated.
He called on Ukraine's international partners to take decisive measures against russia's shadow fleet, including sanctions, and to uphold peace through strength.
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