Italian Navy Boards Sanctioned Shadow Fleet Tanker Under Operation IRINI

Key Points:

• The Italian Navy’s PPA ITS Thaon di Revel boarded the EU-sanctioned tanker Toa Payoh in international waters west of Pantelleria during Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI on 2 August, inspecting the vessel for flag and nationality verification under suspicion of illicit activity.
• Toa Payoh, operating under a declared Cameroonian flag but linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, is part of a network of vessels used to transport Russian crude oil circumventing Western sanctions and export controls.
• The boarding, supported by Greek and Polish naval and air assets, lasted about two hours and was conducted without incident, with documentation now under review by relevant authorities; no seizure was made pending further legal decisions.
• Operation IRINI, launched by the EU in 2020 to enforce the UN arms embargo on Libya, also targets illegal petroleum exports and human-smuggling, employing multinational naval cooperation and legal provisions such as Article 110 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
• The mission highlighted the versatility of the Italian Navy’s Paolo Thaon di Revel-class PPA vessels in maritime security operations and reflects increased European scrutiny of sanctioned shipping in the Mediterranean, particularly vessels involved in Russia’s shadow fleet oil exports.