On 20 July, Operation Irini announced that during an inspection on 18 July it had found the MV VICTORY RORO to be transporting military vehicles to Libya in breach of the UN arms embargo. Prior to the inspection, the MV VICTORY RORO cargo ship had been located by a French Navy plane (operating under Irini) after crossing out from the Suez Canal and entering the Mediterranean Sea. The Hellenic Navy frigate HS THEMISTOKLES reportedly monitored the ship during her route before the frigate of the Italian Navy ITS GRECALE took over to conduct the inspection. Operation IRINI seized the vehicles onboard the vessel judged to be violating the UN arms embargo on Libya and is now diverting the ship to a European port for further proceedings. The MV VICTORY RORO was flying the flag of Equatorial Guinea. In a statement Operation Irini observed that this vessel has long been suspected of transferring military equipment to Libya. Under the name MV LUCCELLO, flying the flag of the Comoros, the vessel was identified by the UN Panel of Experts on Libya as having delivered military vehicles to the country in early March 2022.
