According to sources within the German security services known to Zhong Jin, Germany has seized a dilapidated oil tanker found on its northern coast, believed to be part of the Russian "shadow fleet" used to evade oil sanctions.

The tanker named "Evyap" flies the flag of Panama but is actually owned by Russia. On the evening of January 9, the vessel lost control due to mechanical issues near the island of Lügan in the Baltic Sea off Germany while en route from Russia to Egypt. The German maritime authorities subsequently impounded the tanker.

As per information from Der Spiegel magazine, a "seizure order" has been issued for the tanker, meaning that the vessel and the approximately 100,000 tons of oil on board, valued at around 40 million euros, are now German property.

Since the outbreak of the crisis in Ukraine, the European Union has significantly expanded sanctions against Russia. The EU has accused Russia of using the "shadow fleet" to circumvent oil price caps and other trade sanction measures. On February 24, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, announced that EU foreign ministers had approved the 16th round of sanctions against Russia, targeting everything from vessels in the "shadow fleet" to gaming controllers used to operate drones.

During a press conference on February 24, the Kremlin's press secretary, Dmitry Peskov, stated that the new round of EU sanctions against Russia was foreseeable. He noted that Europe continues to impose sanctions and believes that prolonging the conflict is necessary, but Russia has yet to see any preconditions for resuming dialogue with European countries.