Greek port authorities have seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the Aegean Sea as part of European Union sanctions against Moscow.
The 27-nation bloc moved to ban Russian-flagged vessels from its ports earlier this month, with some exemptions, as Washington and European governments seek to pressure the Kremlin over mounting evidence of atrocities in Ukraine. E.U. sanctions on Russia include import bans on a range of goods but have not extended to a full oil embargo.
The Greek national news agency said Tuesday that the tanker Pegas was detained off the island of Evia with 19 Russian crew members on board “in compliance with the sanctions imposed on ships owned by Russian interests by the European Union and NATO.”
The agency also said the seizure was related to the ship and not the cargo. A coast guard official said the ship’s oil cargo was not confiscated, according to Reuters.
The 27-nation bloc moved to ban Russian-flagged vessels from its ports earlier this month, with some exemptions, as Washington and European governments seek to pressure the Kremlin over mounting evidence of atrocities in Ukraine. E.U. sanctions on Russia include import bans on a range of goods but have not extended to a full oil embargo.
The Greek national news agency said Tuesday that the tanker Pegas was detained off the island of Evia with 19 Russian crew members on board “in compliance with the sanctions imposed on ships owned by Russian interests by the European Union and NATO.”
The agency also said the seizure was related to the ship and not the cargo. A coast guard official said the ship’s oil cargo was not confiscated, according to Reuters.
