Operațiune în Marea Mediterană: Militarii UE au descins la bordul unui petrolier din „flota fantomă” a Rusiei • Newsweek România

An EU naval mission led by Italy boarded the sanctioned tanker Toa Payoh in the Mediterranean, suspected of being part of Russia's 'phantom fleet'. The operation aimed to verify the legality of the ship's flag and registration documents. The captain initially refused to cooperate, but Italian military personnel boarded via helicopter. The inspection lasted about two hours and concluded without incident, as the mission does not have the authority to seize vessels. This operation is part of broader EU efforts to monitor ships allegedly helping Russia evade oil export sanctions following the Ukraine invasion. It marks the second such operation in less than two weeks.