EU Navy mission landed on Russian shadow fleet tanker near Sicily from a helicopter - media

On Sunday, the EU naval mission led by Italy inspected a tanker from Russia's so-called "shadow fleet." This is the second such operation in less than two weeks, as Europe tightens control over vessels suspected of helping Moscow circumvent oil sanctions, UNN reports, citing Reuters.

Details

Italy's Defense Ministry reported that the tanker "Toa Payoh," which is under EU sanctions, was intercepted west of the Sicilian island of Pantelleria while traveling from Benin to Istanbul.

According to a source familiar with the operation, the vessel switched to Cameroonian registration only last week. Maritime authorities have launched an inspection to verify the tanker's legal right to sail under the Cameroonian flag and the authenticity of its registration documents.

The source said that the EU naval mission, named Operation EUNAVFOR MED Irini, did not have the authority to detain the vessel during such inspections, meaning the "Toa Payoh" was not seized.

However, the documentation collected during the inspection is still under review and may be used by national authorities for further seizure if necessary.

The captain of the "Toa Payoh" initially refused to cooperate with the EU mission, prompting a group of Italian military personnel to board the vessel from a helicopter launched from the "Taon di Revel," the flagship of the EUNAVFOR MED mission.

The inspection, carried out with the support of a Greek vessel and a Polish maritime patrol aircraft, lasted about two hours and was successfully completed, the ministry said.

EU increases pressure on Russian shadow fleet, tanker detained - Kallas22.07.26, 15:24 • 4637 views

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The publication noted that Sunday's operation followed the July 20 inspection of the tanker MV South Star, another vessel linked to the Russian shadow fleet, which was checked by Irini forces on suspicion of also sailing under a false flag.

The European Union has imposed sanctions on dozens of vessels it believes are part of the "shadow fleet" used by Russia to circumvent oil export restrictions following the invasion of Ukraine.

EUNAVFOR MED Irini is an EU naval mission established in 2020 to enforce the UN arms embargo on Libya. Since then, EU governments have expanded its scope, allowing it to conduct vessel inspections.