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Russian shadow tanker remained detained with 45 defiencies
The 'Ethera' —part of the Russian "shadow fleet"—remained stationary in Zeebrugge as of Sep 22. The tanker was boarded by the Belgian Navy on the night of Feb 28. Not less than 45 violations were identified during a subsequent inspection. For instance, it was discovered that the 'Ethera' had not been listed in any ship registry since Aug 22, 2025. An investigation was underway, and the FPS Mobility and Transport has set a security deposit of over 10 million euros.
Russian shadow tanker remains detained in Zeebrugge amid juristical battles
More than six months after Belgian military personnel boarded the 'Ethera' in the North Sea on the night of Feb 28 in the Belgian EEZ, the tanker remained detained in the port of Zeebrugge. The owner and crew sought to continue their voyage to St. Petersburg, but an urgent legal procedure in April denied them permission to do so. While the blockade continued, the financial stakes were mounting. No compensation of 10,000 euros per day has been awarded. Nevertheless, that figure is significant, as the owner had previously asked the court to order Belgium to pay a penalty of 10,000 euros per day for as long as the tanker was prevented from departing. Approximately 190 days elapsed between March 1 and Sep 7. At a rate of 10,000 euros per day, that theoretically amounts to around 1.9 million euros. Belgian authorities linked the tanker to the Russian shadow fleet. Findings indicated that the ship was sailing under a false flag and carried invalid or forged certificates. Furthermore, the 'Ethera' had not been listed in a valid ship registry since Aug 22, 2025. The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office subsequently launched a judicial investigation. The case thus touched upon international sanctions against Russia, maritime safety, and flag state jurisdiction. The question of the conditions under which the tanker may return to sea also remained central. The owner and crew turned to the Ghent Enterprise Court (Bruges division). They sought to have the tanker released so they could continue their voyage to St. Petersburg. At the same time, they requested a penalty payment of €10,000 per day for as long as the ship was required to remain in Zeebrugge. The court rejected this request on April 14. The judge reasoned that departure could hardly be considered a temporary measure - once the tanker had left Zeebrugge, it could sail out to the open sea, effectively rendering the Belgian measure moot. In that proceeding, the judge did not issue a definitive ruling on all the legal arguments surrounding the initial boarding. However, it was clear that the owner could not secure the tanker's release from Zeebrugge through this expedited procedure. However, the financial pressure mounts the longer the blockade continued. By the time the ruling was issued in April, the criminal seizure had already been lifted. Yet, the tanker could not depart. Administrative and maritime issues regarding the ship's flag, registration, and certificates persisted.
Sanctioned shadow tanker may not leave port
The 'Ethera' has not been allowed to leave the port of Zeebrugge. The commercial court has declared the claim of the owner and the crew unfounded. The ship was linked to the Russian shadow fleet and is on the European Union's sanctions list. It belongs to the network of companies linked to Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, son of a former top advisor to the now deceased Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The public prosecutor's office is still conducting an investigation into the ship, which was boarded by the Belgian Army on the night of Feb 28, brought to the port of Zeebrugge and remained there while an investigation was ongoing. The ship's owner and crew had requested permission to leave the port, a provisional measure. According to them, the actions of the Belgian authorities were in violation of international regulations. A penalty payment of 10,000 euros per day was requested for each day the 'Ethera' must remain in the port of Zeebrugge. The Ghent Commercial Court (Brugge division) ruled that the request from the owner and the crew could not be regarded as a provisional measure: "Once the ship has left the port, it will head out to the open sea via territorial waters and never return. That would nullify the decision of the Belgian State," it stated. The judicial seizure was, however, lifted in the meantime at the request of the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office. In practice, that decision changed nothing, as the ship remained under administrative seizure. A security deposit of 10,020,000 euros was imposed; and the ship may only leave the port once this has been paid and a new inspection has taken place. For the time being, the crew was also still on board. In response, the owner of the 'Ethera' has summoned the Belgian State to court, but no decision has been reached yet. The FPS Mobility and Transport and DG Shipping further established that the ship was sailing under a false flag and that there were invalid or forged certificates on board. It turned out that the 'Ethera' had not been registered in any ship register since Aug 22, 2025. The unloaded tanker was en route from Morocco to St. Petersburg, Russia.
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