France has seized a Russian-linked oil tanker in the Mediterranean that it says was part of Moscow’s sanction-busting “shadow fleet.”
It was a high-profile operation aimed at choking off revenue for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that the French navy intercepted the tanker Grinch on the high seas between Spain and Morocco.
The vessel — which had sailed from the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk — was suspected of flying a false flag and violating international sanctions.
It is now being escorted to port for further checks as part of a judicial investigation.
Macron said the action was taken “in strict compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
He stressed that enforcing sanctions matters because such “shadow fleet” operations help finance Russia’s war effort.
The UK also supported the operation: British forces provided tracking and monitoring assistance as the tanker passed through the Straits of Gibraltar.
Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed.
Crackdown On Shadow Tankers
This interception follows a series of similar Western actions targeting covert oil shipments designed to skirt sanctions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the move on social media.
He called it “exactly the kind of resolve needed to ensure that Russian oil no longer finances Russia’s war.”
Russia’s embassy in Paris said it had not been informed before the seizure.
It is seeking details about the crew, as authorities investigate the legality and ownership of the vessel.
This bold enforcement marks a deepening Western push against shadow fleet tankers.
Analysts say they have become key to Russia’s ability to sell oil despite sanctions.
