Italian militarymen landed on a tanker of the Russian shadow fleet in the Mediterranean Sea
3.08.2026 - 10:25
The Italian ship ITS Thaon di Revel inspected the Toa Payoh, a sanctioned oil tanker that is part of the Russian “shadow fleet.”
The Italian Ministry of Defense reported this.
The Italian military inspected the Toa Payoh, an oil tanker that is under EU sanctions and belongs to the so-called Russian “shadow fleet.”
The operation was carried out on the morning of August 2 by the ITS Thaon di Revel, the flagship of the EU naval mission in the Mediterranean, EUNAVFOR MED IRINI.
The purpose of the inspection was to establish the nationality of the vessel, which is determined by the flag under which it is entitled to fly. The tanker declared the flag of Cameroon.
The Toa Payoh left the port of Cotonou in Benin on July 16 and was heading for Istanbul. It was intercepted west of the Italian island of Pantelleria. Initially, the tanker’s captain did not provide the requested assistance. An Italian military inspection team was then flown aboard the ITS Thaon di Revel by helicopter to conduct the necessary inspections.
The operation lasted about two hours. It was carried out with the support of a Greek warship and a Polish naval patrol aircraft. The inspection was completed without incident.
The inspection was carried out in international waters within the framework of a European mandate and in accordance with Article 110 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It allows a military ship, under certain conditions, to verify the nationality of a merchant vessel and its right to fly the declared flag. The information and documents collected during the inspection are currently being studied.
