@RusEmbMalta Press Release
🇷🇺 On the Russian Foreign Ministry Statement Regarding the European Union's Unlawful Activity Concerning Foreign Vessels
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation has issued a statement condemning the European Union's unlawful actions against foreign commercial vessels under Operation Irini.
The Ministry points out that, under the pretext of preventing maritime transportation of oil and other cargo in the interests of the Russian Federation, the European Union is using Operation Irini off the Libyan coast to conduct unlawful searches of foreign vessels.
❗️On 2 August, the Cameroon-flagged vessel Tao Payoh was searched in the Mediterranean Sea by the Italian military, assisted by a Polish patrol aircraft and a Greek patrol ship. The inspection, officially justified as verification of the vessel's national affiliation, lasted approximately two hours. No grounds for further action were found, and the vessel continued its voyage.
The statement recalls that Operation Irini, authorized by the United Nations Security Council, was established to enforce the arms embargo on Libya, collect information on illicit exports of Libyan oil and disrupt illegal human trafficking at sea. Its mandate expired in May 2026.
⚠️ Today, the European Union is effectively using the operation to intimidate commercial carriers and hinder the freedom of navigation. Such actions constitute a flagrant violation of international law and an unjustified expansion of authority.
The Ministry further emphasizes that EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas once again demonstrates disregard for international law by describing ordinary commercial shipping, which contributes to global energy and food security, as illegal while ignoring the actions of EU naval forces.
🌍 Although verification of a vessel's flag may be permitted under international maritime law, in this case it serves merely as a pretext for political pressure and the enforcement of unilateral measures that Brussels seeks to impose on the rest of the world. Inspections aimed at determining whether a vessel belongs to the so-called "shadow fleet" have no legal basis, and no internal decisions of the European Union can override the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
❗️The Ministry underscores that, by resorting to such actions, the European Union is exposing itself to serious risks by taking steps that go far beyond the limits established by international law.
🔗 The statement in Russian is available here.
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