ATHENS – While Greece and the European Union hadn’t barred Russian ships from entering the bloc over sanctions for the invasion of Ukraine, Greece’s Coast Guard blocked a Russian oil tanker from leaving waters off the coast of Evia.

Coast Guard officials not named told Reuters that the order to seize the ship was issued by the country’s anti-money laundering authority, under the sanctions, without further explanation given.

Sources not identified told the paper that the Russian-flagged Pegas was en route to the Peloponnese to transfer its cargo of oil onto another ship when it ran into adverse weather and tucked away in a safe bay off the seaside town of Karystos.

sailed to safety in a sheltered bay off the seaside town of Karystos in southern Evia, The news agency said the vessel was intercepted there and had 19 crew members on board, while also citing a coast guard official as saying that the vessel had been seized, but not its oil cargo.