EU naval forces board tanker suspected of link to Russian "shadow fleet"

European Union naval forces, led by Italy, boarded a tanker suspected of belonging to the so-called Russian "shadow fleet" in an operation west of the island of Pantelleria near Sicily, the Italian Ministry of Defence said. The move is the second of its kind in under two weeks as EU states step up scrutiny of ships accused of helping Moscow evade oil sanctions.

The tanker, identified in Italian statements as "Toa Pajoh" and listed under EU sanctions, was intercepted while sailing from Benin to Istanbul. According to the ministry, the vessel has been sailing under the flag of Cameroon since last week.

Authorities launched an inspection to verify whether the tanker has a lawful right to fly Cameroonian colours and whether its registration documents are valid. The EU maritime mission said the operation was supported by a Greek warship and a Polish maritime patrol aircraft.

The Italian Ministry of Defence reported the inspection lasted about two hours and was completed safely. Russia has not yet commented on the boarding.

Background and legal limits

On 20 July the EU naval mission carried out an inspection of the vessel "MV South Star", a ship linked to the alleged Russian shadow fleet that was suspected of sailing under a false flag. The EU has imposed sanctions on a number of vessels it says are part of the shadow fleet used by Russia to work around export restrictions on oil imposed after its invasion of Ukraine.

The maritime mission, known as "EUNAVFOR MED Irini," began in 2020 to enforce the UN arms embargo on Libya. The EU later expanded its mandate to allow inspections aimed at preventing sanction-busting. The mission does not have authority to seize vessels during these inspections; documents gathered can be passed to national authorities who may take action, including seizure, if warranted.

Photo: press material from the event