An Italian-led European Union naval mission has boarded a sanctioned tanker linked to Moscow’s shadow fleet in the Mediterranean.
Italy’s Ministry of Defense said the tanker Toa Payoh was intercepted west of the Italian island of Pantelleria while sailing from Benin to Turkey.
Toa Payoh is among the vessels sanctioned by the EU for transporting Russian oil despite Western restrictions.
The inspection was launched after the tanker recently switched to the Cameroon flag, prompting authorities to verify the validity of its registration documents.
After the captain initially failed to cooperate, Italian personnel boarded the vessel by helicopter as part of EUNAVFOR MED Irini, the EU naval mission originally established to enforce the UN arms embargo on Libya.
The operation was supported by a Greek warship and a Polish maritime patrol aircraft.
Sanctioned Shadow Fleet
The operation follows a series of similar enforcement actions across Europe.
In June, the UK conducted its first boarding of a sanctioned shadow fleet tanker in the English Channel.
Last month, France seized a tanker carrying an estimated 600,000 barrels of oil after it loaded cargo in Murmansk, while Belgian authorities earlier this year detained another vessel in the North Sea that was reportedly transporting around 330,000 barrels.
The operation also comes as the EU expands its sanctions enforcement powers.
Under the bloc’s 21st sanctions package, member states can confiscate and sell Russian oil and other cargoes seized from sanctioned vessels rather than leaving them in storage.
The new rules provide a legal framework for handling seized cargoes while increasing the financial cost of sanctions evasion.
