The European Union announced the alleged date of the military operation in the Mediterranean Sea

In Europe, preparations are in full swing for the summit of the heads of state and governments of the EU, which will be held in Riga from June 25 to 26. By this time, the details of the operations of the naval forces in the Mediterranean Sea, aimed at combating the smugglers and illegal transportation of refugees, should be worked out. Such a statement on Monday, May 18, was made by the head of the diplomacy of the European Union Federic Mogherini after the meeting of the heads of the European Foreign Ministry, which was announced on the EU official website .

"It has just been made to establish a naval operation against smugglers and people in the Mediterranean Sea. At the EU summit in June, we must be prepared to launch the operation," she wrote on her official Twitter page. According to Mogherini, the European Union realizes the need for actions without delay at all levels.

“Not a single separate action will bring the effect, therefore we play for an integrated approach. We will expand our cooperation with African countries, increase our presence through existing missions, and also prepare an operation about which we made today,” Mogherini explained. She also emphasized that the Italian Rear Admiral will be commanded by a military operation in the Mediterranean Sea.

At the same time, the EU leadership emphasizes that without the permission of the UN Security Council, participants in the military operation will only be able to detain those vessels with illegal immigrants who will go without a flag or under the flag of the country that agreed to detain, reports Reuters. Moreover, the military EU will not be able to act in the territorial waters of Libya without the permission of the country's authorities or the UN mandate.

Last week, the British newspaper The Guardian wrote that the European Union is studying the idea of ​​a land surgery in Libya as part of the struggle against illegal migration from Africa to Europe. Journalists who gained access to a 19-page strategy to limit the influx of illegal immigrants noted that the document allows the opportunity to eliminate organizations that are illegally transporting migrants, including landing in Libya.

The goal of the campaign is defined in the document as "the destruction of the business model of smugglers." It should be achieved "by conducting systematic efforts to identify, capture and destroy the vessels and fuel that are used by smugglers," says The Guardian. At the same time, the document admits that the planning of the campaign can lead to the death of innocent people.

Meanwhile, diplomatic sources in Brussels assured that the landing of the military on the Libyan coast was not considered. This was confirmed by Mogherini. “We do not plan military intervention in Libya any of the possible ways,” she said in a past Wednesday.

The idea of ​​the beginning of a military operation in the Mediterranean Sea was discussed at the end of April at the EU Extraordinary Summit. Even then, the leaders of the EU countries were going to entrust the Supreme EU by Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini "immediately begin the preparation of a possible security protection operation in accordance with international law."

The first consultations on the draft resolution showed the presence of political will to implement this plan, an AFP was told by a source familiar with the negotiations. Thus, the European Union will respond to the call of Italy Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, who proposed to check the possibility of “targeted blows” on the gangs of smuggles in Libya, a senior representative of the EU indicated in a conversation with the agency.

As a result of the crash of the ship with migrants on April 19 , 800 people died , which became the largest tragedy in the Mediterranean. The European Union agreed to hold an extraordinary meeting to discuss measures to counteract the smugglers.

Italy and Malta, separated from Africa only by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, are one of the most favorite goals for illegal migrants. The smallest glory has a small Italian island of Lampeduza, located 113 kilometers from the coast of Tunisia. Every month, data on new shipwrecks come from there, when ferries and ships sailing on Sicily are turned over, most of them are due to overload.

Many disasters are intentionally ignored by fishermen and other civilian ships. Their captains, not wanting to be involved in illegal migration, lead the ships further, despite the cries of the help of sinking people.