Russian Foreign Ministry warns EU of violation of international law over oil tankers

The detention of civilian vessels by the European Union (EU) in the Mediterranean Sea is illegal and poses a direct threat to the safety of navigation. This was announced on June 10 by the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova.

"The inspection and detention of civilian vessels that meet all the criteria for free and unhindered navigation, under a far—fetched pretext, without the approval of the UN Security Council and contrary to international maritime law, are illegal actions," the diplomat stressed.

According to Zakharova, the EU is responsible for the risks in the region, as it uses naval forces to intimidate commercial carriers. She noted that the actions of European structures violate the established norms of international navigation.

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However, Ottawa is unlikely to make direct attempts to seize tankers.

The day before, the head of the European Diplomacy, Kaya Kallas, said that EU ships could detain tankers with Russian oil in the Mediterranean Sea. These actions can be carried out as part of the IRINI operation in Mediterranean waters. According to Kallas, sanctions on freedom of navigation will also be applied against Iran for the first time.

Zakharova told Izvestia on June 3 that Western countries were turning into "pirates of the 21st century" because of the hijackings of ships in international waters. She compared the situation to a series of films about the British special agent James Bond, who, according to the plot, was given a "license to kill." The diplomat stressed that the West now issues such permits, not only for the "destruction of maritime law," but also for international terrorism.