The EU has proposed sanctions against three companies over "false flagging."

The European Union has proposed adding three companies to the blacklists as part of the 19th package of sanctions against RUSSIA, which, according to Brussels, supply tankers with fake registration certificates under various flags. This was reported byBLOOMBERG with reference to EU documents.

According to the agency, these organizations provided "flags" of Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten to at least eight "sanctioned" vessels. Bloomberg does not specify which companies are involved.

The agency also noted that in May, the Netherlands, which includes the self-governing state of Sint Maarten, notified the International Maritime Organization that organizations were issuing "fake certificates" in the name of Sint Maarten.

EUobserver previously reported that the European Union, as part of its 19th sanctions package, plans to add another 120 tankers to its "blacklist" for allegedly transporting Russian energy products. Adding these vessels to the blacklist will prohibit them from calling at EU ports and doing business with European companies. They will also be prohibited from providing insurance and other services.

According to EU documents cited by EUobserver, at least 16 of the 120 vessels Brussels plans to include on the sanctions list have their national registration marked "not specified." The publication also notes that, according to the maritime industry database Eqasis, these vessels lack "valid flags."

On October 1, French authorities launched an investigation into the Boracay tanker, sailing from Russia, after the crew failed to provide information about the vessel's identity and failed to comply with orders. The presence of cargo on board remains "unclear." Two Boracay crew members were detained.

Russian President Vladimir Putin called the seizure of the Boracay "piracy." "Well, it's piracy [stopping a vessel]. I'm familiar with this incident. The tanker was seized in international waters, without any justification. They were apparently looking for some kind of cargo, maybe military equipment, drones, or something like that. There was nothing like that there, and there can't be any," he said.

The HEAD of state added that the tanker was flying the flag of a third country, and he does not know “to what extent this is connected with Russia.”

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