EU naval team led by Italy intercepts sanctioned Russian tanker in the Mediterranean

On Sunday, an EU naval operation headed by Italy intercepted the tanker Toa Payoh in the Mediterranean west of Pantelleria. The ship, subject to EU sanctions as part of Russia’s alleged “shadow fleet,” was traveling from Benin to Istanbul under the Cameroonian flag. When the captain initially refused to comply, Italian forces deployed from the Irini flagship Thaon di Revel via helicopter to board the vessel.

The operation was supported by a Greek naval ship and a Polish maritime patrol aircraft, and the boarding lasted roughly two hours without incident. Italian defence officials are now examining the paperwork obtained during the inspection to confirm the vessel’s true nationality and registration. The EU has broadened the Irini mission’s remit to include verification boardings of ships suspected of using false flags to evade sanctions.