Operation IRINI: ITS Thaon di Revel Boards Oil Tanker Belonging to the Russian "Shadow Fleet"

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This morning, 2 August, ITS Thaon di Revel, the flagship of Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, the European Union's mission in the Mediterranean, carried out an inspection of the oil tanker Toa Payoh, which is subject to European Union sanctions and belongs to the so-called Russian "shadow fleet", in order to verify its nationality, which for ships is determined by the flag they are authorized to fly. The Toa Payoh is sailing under the declared flag of Cameroon. "I would like to congratulate the crew of ITS Thaon di Revel and all the military personnel involved in the operation for the professionalism, preparedness and determination they demonstrated. This activity once again provides tangible evidence of Italy's contribution to security in the Mediterranean and to the European Union's efforts," said Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto. The tanker, which departed from the port of Cotonou, Benin, on 16 July and was bound for Istanbul, was intercepted west of Pantelleria.Initially, the tanker’s master did not provide the requested cooperation. An Italian military boarding team was then deployed by helicopter from ITS Thaon di Revel and carried out the required inspections. The operation, conducted with the support of a Greek naval vessel and a Polish maritime patrol aircraft, lasted approximately two hours and was completed safely and without incident. The operation, conducted in international waters under the European mandate, was carried out in full compliance with Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which authorizes a warship, under the conditions set out therein, to verify the nationality of a merchant vessel and the flag it is entitled to fly. The information and documentation collected during the inspection are currently being examined.

 

 

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