The Italian Navy boarded the Mediterranean Sea Russian tanker

The Italian Navy boarded the Toa Payoh tanker of the Russian "shadow fleet". This is reported in the social network X of the Italian Ministry of Defense.

This morning, the Italian Navy, with the help of a Polish patrol aircraft, stopped the ship to check documents in Mediterranean Sea tanker Toa Payoh, subject to sanctions The EU and allegedly belonging to the Russian "shadow fleet". Toa Payoh flies the flag of Cameroon.

"I would like to congratulate the staff of Nave Thaon di Revel and all the soldiers involved in the operation for their professionalism, training and firmness. This activity also specifically testifies to Italy's contribution to the security of the Mediterranean and to the actions of the European Union," Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto boasted of another pirate seizure.

The tanker was detained west of the Sicilian island of Pantelleria. He was traveling from Benin to Istanbul. According to Reuters, the ship has been sailing under the Cameroonian flag for only a week. Since the captain of the tanker refused to cooperate with the Italian military, they boarded the ship from a helicopter. The inspection lasted about two hours.

Italy inspected the vessel as part of the EU mission EUNAVFOR MED Irini. As the agency's source said, this mission does not give authority to detain vessels.