ALBAWABA - Italy-led EU naval force boards sanctioned oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” to check nationality and registration, Italy’s Ministry of Defense said Sunday.
The vessel, **Tua Bayoh**, sailing under the Cameroonian flag, is listed under European Union sanctions. It was intercepted in the Mediterranean Sea west of the Italian island of Pantelleria, on its way from Benin to Istanbul.
Italian authorities say the ship’s captain initially refused to cooperate with the inspection, so an Italian military boarding team deployed from a helicopter launched from the Thaon di Revel, flagship of the EU’s Operation Irini mission.
The inspection, backed by a Greek naval vessel and a Polish maritime patrol aircraft, lasted around two hours and ended without incident. Officials are now sifting through documents seized during the raid to determine the vessel's status.
The European Union has sanctioned a number of ships suspected of being part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” a network of vessels accused of helping Moscow circumvent restrictions on oil exports imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.
Operation Irini, launched by the European Union in 2020 to enforce the UN arms embargo on Libya, has since broadened its mandate to include inspections of vessels suspected of operating under false or fraudulent flags.
