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Greece Seizes Russian Tanker as Part of EU Sanctions

Greek Coast Guard vessel "Gavdos" is moored following a night patrol, at the port of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos, Greece, September 30, 2019. (Reuters)
Greek Coast Guard vessel "Gavdos" is moored following a night patrol, at the port of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos, Greece, September 30, 2019. (Reuters)
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Greece Seizes Russian Tanker as Part of EU Sanctions

Greek Coast Guard vessel "Gavdos" is moored following a night patrol, at the port of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos, Greece, September 30, 2019. (Reuters)
Greek Coast Guard vessel "Gavdos" is moored following a night patrol, at the port of Mytilene on the island of Lesbos, Greece, September 30, 2019. (Reuters)

Greece has seized a Russian oil tanker off the island of Evia as part of European Union sanctions imposed on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, the Greek coast guard said on Tuesday.

Earlier this month the EU banned Russian-flagged vessels from the 27-nation bloc's ports, with some exemptions, as it adopted new sweeping sanctions against Russia.

The Russian-flagged Pegas, with 19 Russian crew members on board, was seized near Karystos on the southern coast of Evia, which lies just off the Greek mainland near the capital Athens.

"It has been seized as part of EU sanctions," a shipping ministry official said.

A coastguard official said the ship's oil cargo had not been confiscated.

The Pegas had earlier reported an engine problem. Rough seas forced it to moor just off Karystos where it was seized, the Athens News Agency reported.

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China Says Philippine Plan to Deploy Midrange Missiles Would Be 'Extremely Irresponsible'

A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)
A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)
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China Says Philippine Plan to Deploy Midrange Missiles Would Be 'Extremely Irresponsible'

A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)
A Chinese national flag flutters on a financial street in Beijing. (Reuters)

China said a plan by the Philippines to deploy midrange missiles would be a provocative move that stokes regional tensions.
The Philippines top army official told reporters in Manila earlier on Monday that the military plans to acquire a midrange system to defend the country’s territory amid tensions with China in the South China Sea.
“Yes, there are plans, there are negotiations, because we see its feasibility and adaptability,” Lt. Gen. Roy Galido said.
The US deployed its Typhon midrange missile system in the northern Philippines in April and troops from both countries have been training jointly for the potential use of the heavy weaponry.
China opposes US military assistance to the Philippines and has been particularly alarmed by the deployment of the Typhon system. Under President Joe Biden, the US has strengthened an arc of military alliances in the Indo-Pacific to counter China, including in any confrontation over Taiwan.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that deployment of the weapon by the Philippines would intensify geopolitical confrontation and an arms race.
“It is an extremely irresponsible choice for the history and people of itself and the whole of Southeast Asia, as well as for the security of the region,” she told a daily briefing.
The Philippines would not necessarily buy the Typhon system, Galido said.
The army is working not only with the United States but with other friendly countries on a long list of weapons platforms that it plans to acquire, he said.
The Philippines defense plan includes protecting its exclusive economic zone, which reaches 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers).
“It is paramount for the army to be able to project its force up to that extent, in coordination, of course, with the Philippine navy and the Philippine air force," Galido said.