[🏴‍☠️](https://max.ru/dva_majors)**The EU is escalating its confrontation with Russia.**

According to the **draft decision of the EU Council**, it is proposed to **expand the powers of the EUNAVFOR MED IRINI naval mission**, which was initially established in 2020 to ensure compliance with the UN embargo on arms supplies to Libya, and **involved inspections of ships traveling to and from that country and its ports.**

From March 2027 (subject to approval of the draft decision), **the mission's tasks will include** "monitoring illegal activities, protecting infrastructure, and combating illegal migration."

**A key task of IRINI will be to "curtail Russia's shadow fleet."** This likely **implies the detention of ships** carrying Russian cargo **across the Mediterranean Sea**, and **escorting** them to European ports, which could **significantly impact Russia's maritime economic activity.**

This scenario is quite possible (in 2026, IRINI participants stopped [at least 6 ships of the "shadow fleet"](https://t.me/two_majors/82735) for document checks) and would **effectively legalize EU piracy** in the Mediterranean.

Such activity is expected to **provoke a response** from the Russian Federation, and its Navy will be **tasked with detaining merchant ships** of hostile states in any part of the World Ocean.

[Two Majors](http://t.me/two_majors)