EU's Operation Atalanta cleared to board suspected Russian shadow tankers

The EU's counter-piracy mission Operation Atalanta has been authorised to carry out flag-verification boardings of ships suspected of belonging to Russia's shadow fleet, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced, Defense News reported. The mission's area covers the Somali Basin, Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, the gulfs of Suez and Aqaba and waters around Oman. The boardings rely on Article 110 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which allows warships to inspect ships suspected of false or no nationality. Kallas said the EU was "matching our sanctions with action at sea". The move extends powers already used by Operation Irini in the Mediterranean.

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