A Sunday interception by an EU mission led by Italy of a petrolier from Russia’s so-called ‘ghost fleet’ to verify the ship’s nationality and flag was announced by the Italian Ministry of Defense, according to Reuters. It is not yet known whether the ship was detained during the inspection.

The petrolier ‘Toa Payoh’, a ship under EU sanctions flying the flag of Cameroon, was intercepted in the Mediterranean Sea, west of the Italian island of Pantelleria, while en route from Benin to Istanbul. The captain initially refused to cooperate, leading an Italian military team to board the ship from a helicopter launched from the ‘Thaon di Revel’, the flagship of the EU naval operation EUNAVFOR MED Irini.

The inspection, carried out with the support of a Greek ship and a Polish maritime patrol aircraft, lasted approximately two hours and concluded under safe conditions, according to the ministry. The European Union has imposed sanctions on a dozen ships it claims are part of Russia’s ‘ghost fleet’ used to evade export restrictions on its oil following the invasion of Ukraine.

EUNAVFOR MED Irini is a 2020 EU mission aimed at ensuring adherence to the UN arms embargo on Libya.

Sursă consultată: Trupe UE au descins pe un petrolier sancţionat din „flota fantomă” a Rusiei, în Marea Mediterană — https://www.digi24.ro/stiri/externe/trupe-ue-au-descins-pe-un-petrolier-sanctionat-din-flota-fantoma-a-rusiei-in-marea-mediterana-3889781