The tanker's abolition of the "shadow floats". Polish M28 Bryza in action

Italian soldiers have boarded a tanker sanctioned Toa Payoh, suspected of being active in the Russian "shadow float". Operation in the Mediterranean led the forces of the EU IRINI mission, and air operations were secured by a Polish patrol aircraft M28 Breeze.

Only a few years ago, European countries were mainly limited to imposing further sanctions. Today, warships, helicopters and control groups are increasingly being diverted to the sea. The fight against the Russian "shadow float" ceases to be only a matter of diplomacy – increasingly it becomes the task of navy women.

One example of this change was the operation carried out in the Mediterranean on 2 August in the framework of the EU mission EUNAVFOR MED IRINI.

The captain refused to cooperate.

Initially, the control was to follow standard procedures. The situation changed when the tanker captain failed to cooperate with the operations forces. Then on board an Italian ship Thaon di Revel, acting as the IRINI flagship unit, took off a helicopter with a control group.

Italian soldiers They've boarded the tanker. And they started checking documents. But it wasn't about taking over the ship. As explained by ANSA, the purpose of the inspection was to establish its nationality and to verify the right to use the flag of Cameroon.

The surgery lasted about two hours. The Italian ship operated in the ace of the Greek unit, while the air operations were secured by a Polish patrol aircraft M28 Breeze. After checking the documents, the control group left the tanker, which then continued voyage.

The collected material is to be analysed and can be used by national authorities to take further legal action. However, the IRINI operation forces did not have the authority to take the tanker, therefore Toa Payoh He wasn't stopped.

More and more hard action against shadow floats

The Russian shadow float has long been a problem for European countries. It is mainly formed by used tankers flying under third country flags, often with unclear ownership structure and altered documentation. This means that they can transport Russian oil without any restrictions imposed after the start of the war on Ukraine.

European countries have long been limited to tracking such ships. They now also decide to carry out inspections at sea, checking documents and the right to use the declared flag.

It's more than a single board.

The control of one tanker will not change the situation on the Russian oil transport market. However, it is a signal to shipowners and operators "Shadow fleets"that the enforcement of sanctions does not end with administrative decisions, but may also include control activities carried out at sea.