EU tightens grip on shadow tankers in Mediterranean, raising Genoa port questions

The European Union has begun boarding and detaining shadow fleet tankers at sea, targeting vessels falsely registered under Cameroon's flag to transport Russian oil in breach of sanctions. On June 8, the EU expanded the mandate of Operation IRINI, its naval mission in the Mediterranean, to stop, board, detain and inspect ships suspected of sanctions violations. The enforcement has prompted Cameroon to dump 39 vessels from its ship registry, according to officials and documents cited by Insurance Journal.

The crackdown signals a hardening of EU enforcement in Mediterranean waters, where the Port of Genoa sits as one of Europe's largest shipping hubs. Shadow fleet tankers—vessels that obscure their ownership and cargo origin through flag manipulation and deliberate misreporting—have become a mechanism for circumventing Russian oil sanctions. The false-flagging scheme, which Cameroon's maritime authorities have struggled to police, has created regulatory grey zones that European navies are now aggressively closing.