ATHENS, Greece — Greek authorities say they have seized a Russian tanker in the Aegean Sea as part of European Union sanctions imposed against Russia.

The Greek coast guard said the Russian-flagged Pegas, an oil tanker with 19 Russian crew members on board, was seized April 15 and is currently anchored in the bay of Karystos, the southern coast of the island of Evia. The coast guard said the seizure order concerned the ship itself, and not its cargo.

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AT SEA - JULY 3:  The Greek supertanker Astro Lupus lies anchored July 3, 2002, about 65 miles off the coast of Galveston, Texas. (Photo by Craig H. Hartley/POOL/Getty Images)

The European Union, of which Greece is a member, has adopted a wide range of sanctions against Russia over the latter’s invasion of Ukraine, designed to pressure the Russian economy and the government of President Vladimir Putin.

Oil storage tanks stand at the RN-Tuapsinsky refinery, operated by Rosneft Oil Co., as tankers sail beyond in Tuapse, Russia, on Monday, March 23, 2020. Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg via Getty Images

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The sanctions include import and export bans for a wide variety of goods, and a ban on access to EU ports by Russian-flagged ships.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy)