European Union naval forces have boarded a suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker in the Mediterranean Sea and confirmed that it was sailing under a false flag, the bloc’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Sunday.

Troops operating under the EU’s Operation Irini boarded the MV Midag on Friday to verify its registration and flag status. Kallas shared images of the operation on social media, saying the EU would continue targeting vessels used by Russia to circumvent Western sanctions.

“The EU will keep disrupting Russia’s shadow fleet at sea and through diplomatic means,” she wrote.

Kallas also said EU foreign ministers were expected to approve additional sanctions against Russia on Monday. The proposed measures would target banks, oil buyers and companies accused of supporting the shadow fleet.

Russia relies on a network of tankers commonly described as its shadow fleet to continue exporting oil despite restrictions imposed by Western governments following its invasion of Ukraine. The vessels often operate through complicated ownership arrangements, use flags of convenience and change registration details to make it harder to identify their links to Russia and establish the origin of their cargoes.

The latest boarding follows similar operations by Operation Irini in recent months. In August, EU forces carried out a flag verification inspection of the oil tanker MV Sun. Another operation earlier that month targeted the MV Toa Payoh.

Operation Irini expands its role

Operation Irini was established in March 2020 to enforce a United Nations arms embargo on Libya during the country’s civil conflict.

Its original responsibilities included monitoring and disrupting illegal arms trafficking, collecting information about oil smuggling networks, helping combat human trafficking and supporting the training of Libyan law enforcement and search-and-rescue institutions.

The mission’s mandate was renewed in October and will now run until March 31, 2029. Its responsibilities have been expanded to include protecting EU interests in the Mediterranean, supporting peace and stability in Libya and helping restrict Russia’s shadow fleet activities.

The EU has identified the Mediterranean as an important transit and transfer route for the vessels, which can move between shipping areas to transfer oil and conceal the origin of cargoes.

The expanded mandate reflects growing European efforts to enforce sanctions beyond financial restrictions and target the maritime networks that help Russia maintain its oil trade.

Kallas’s announcement signals that the bloc intends to continue using inspections, diplomatic pressure and additional sanctions to disrupt those operations. The planned measures against financial institutions, buyers and supporting companies would extend pressure beyond the vessels themselves to businesses involved in moving and purchasing Russian oil.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused SpaceX of failing to provide clear explanations for speed restrictions affecting its Starshield satellite communications network, warning that the limits are disrupting efforts to intercept Russian attack drones.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces had faced restrictions for five days, with Starshield terminals limited to a maximum speed of 161 kilometres per hour in areas occupied by Russian forces.

In comments released on Saturday, he said SpaceX had described the restrictions as a technical issue, but Kyiv was not convinced by that explanation.

“The restrictions have now been in place for five days,” Zelenskyy said. “They say it is some kind of technical issue. We do not believe that is the case.”

The Ukrainian leader raised the issue during an address at the European Political Community summit in Dublin earlier this week. He said the limits were directly affecting Ukraine’s ability to intercept Russian jet-powered attack drones.

“If someone in America is making decisions that basically treat Ukrainian territory as if it is not Ukrainian, then this tells us where things are going,” he told the summit.

On Friday, Zelenskyy said Kyiv had received no clear explanation for the restrictions. He instructed Ukraine’s foreign and defence ministries to intensify discussions with the US Department of State, the Pentagon and SpaceX to clarify the situation and seek a solution.

Starshield, SpaceX’s satellite communications service designed for government and defence users, has become an important part of Ukraine’s military communications infrastructure. It provides internet access and connectivity for Ukrainian forces operating across the battlefield.

The reported restrictions have raised concerns in Kyiv about the reliability of a service that has played a significant role in supporting military operations since Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

Land concessions raised in peace discussions

The dispute comes as Ukraine continues diplomatic discussions with Washington and other Western partners over possible terms for ending the war.

Zelenskyy said the United States had raised the possibility of Ukraine withdrawing from the Donbas region in exchange for NATO membership. He described it as the first time Washington had presented the proposal in those terms.

“The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins NATO? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’ This was the first time this had been raised,” he told reporters on Friday, according to comments reported by AFP.

The Donbas region in eastern Ukraine has been a major focus of fighting since Russia’s invasion. Moscow has sought control over the territory, while Kyiv has repeatedly rejected demands to surrender land.

Zelenskyy said Ukraine was discussing specific security guarantees with NATO and the European Union. He added that he would consult the Ukrainian public if Western countries formally confirmed the proposed terms.

“I have no right to make that decision on my own,” he said.

The comments underline the challenges facing efforts to accelerate peace negotiations, with questions over territorial concessions, future security arrangements and continued Western military and technological support remaining central to the discussions.

Turkey and Qatar have signed a mutual defence agreement to strengthen military cooperation and prepare for potential external attacks, as the Iran war accelerates changes in security arrangements across the Gulf and wider Middle East.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani signed the agreement during a meeting in Istanbul on Friday, where they co-chaired the Supreme Strategic Committee between the two countries. The meeting also produced agreements covering trade, energy, diplomacy, education and culture.

A joint statement said the defence pact was intended to strengthen collective security, support regional stability and establish a common response to an external armed attack against either country or both.

The two sides agreed to consult on security threats and expand cooperation through joint military exercises, defence industry projects and exchanges of military personnel for training.

Erdogan said Turkey and Qatar would continue working to prevent another outbreak of conflict in the Gulf and promote dialogue and peace. His office described the agreement as a new stage in the countries’ close relationship and said it would expand cooperation in defence production.

The leaders also discussed Israel’s attacks on Gaza and the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian territory, efforts to normalise relations in Syria and developments in Libya.

Regional defence partnerships expand

The agreement comes amid a wider reassessment of security arrangements following the war involving Iran. While Gulf governments continue to regard the United States’ military presence as central to their security, Washington’s signals of a broader strategic realignment have encouraged regional countries to strengthen other defence partnerships.

Turkey, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Indonesia have all taken steps towards closer military or defence industry cooperation in recent months.

In August, Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement, under which the three countries agreed to support one another if any came under attack. The pact was ratified by the Turkish parliament last week, bringing together NATO member Turkey, Pakistan, which possesses the Muslim world’s only nuclear arsenal, and Saudi Arabia, a major regional military and economic power.

Turkey has said the agreement is not directed against any country and remains open to additional participants, including Egypt.

Pakistan and Kuwait also signed a joint defence and military cooperation agreement in August.

In October, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan and Indonesia signed the Badr multilateral memorandum of understanding, focusing on cooperation in the defence industry.

The latest Turkey-Qatar agreement adds another layer to these emerging arrangements. Its emphasis on consultations, military exercises and defence production reflects efforts by regional governments to strengthen their ability to respond to security threats while maintaining existing international partnerships.

The developments point to a more varied regional security network, with countries pursuing closer bilateral and multilateral ties as uncertainty continues over the Gulf’s future security environment.