European Union is taking strict action against oil tankers falsely using the flag of Cameroon to ship Russian oil.
On June 8, 2026, the EU announced Operation IRINI, a naval mission in the Mediterranean that would enable EU navies to intercept, board, inspect, and detain vessels suspected of being part of the Russian shadow fleet.
The step has led Cameroon to remove 39 vessels from its registry.
Russia has used older tankers lacking proper documentation and insurance to evade Western sanctions by registering them under the flags of several nations to hide their true ownership, identity, cargo and movements.
IRINI boarded and inspected at least three tankers in the past few weeks. These include the
Nelsa, the Oneiroi and the Sandhya.
French, British, Swedish, and Belgian navies have intercepted 9 ships since the beginning of 2026, and five of them were sailing under a false Cameroonian flag.
Cameroon said that its registry has been misused by shadow fleet tankers carrying Russian oil, and a recent investigation revealed that many
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