The Italian Navy has carried out an inspection of a Russian tanker linked to the so-called “shadow fleet” in international waters near the island of Pantelleria, between Sicily and Tunisia.

The operation was conducted as part of the European EUNAVFOR MED IRINI mission, which monitors arms and oil trafficking in the Mediterranean.

The Italian naval vessel Thaon di Revel stopped the tanker Toa Payoh, which is under European Union sanctions, for inspection.

The vessel sails under the declared flag of Cameroon and departed from the port of Cotonou in Benin on July 16, bound for Istanbul.

According to the Italian Ministry of Defense, the tanker’s captain initially refused to cooperate with the authorities.

A military team was then flown by helicopter from the Thaon di Revel to board the tanker and carry out the required checks to verify the vessel’s nationality and documentation.

The operation lasted around two hours and was conducted with the support of a Greek vessel and a Polish patrol aircraft. Italian authorities said the inspection was carried out in accordance with Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which allows merchant vessels to be inspected under certain conditions.

Following the inspection, Italian authorities began reviewing the information and documentation collected to determine the next steps.

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