France says it has seized an oil tanker in the Mediterranean suspected of being part of Russia's sanction-busting shadow fleet.
French President Emmanuel Macron stated that the tanker, named the Grinch, was subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag.
The seizure was conducted by the French navy with assistance from allies including the UK. The interception occurred on Thursday morning between Spain and Morocco, where a search confirmed suspicions about the vessel's registration.
Russia's embassy in Paris claimed it had not been informed of the tanker seizure.
Moscow's shadow fleet consists of a network of tankers used to evade Western sanctions on Russian oil exports, transporting oil through older vessels with obscure ownership details.
The Grinch was traveling from the Arctic port of Murmansk in northern Russia when intercepted. It had been flying a Comoros flag, according to tracking data.
In his announcement, Macron declared: We are determined to uphold international law and to ensure the effective enforcement of sanctions. He highlighted that the shadow fleet is financially aiding the ongoing war in Ukraine.
British Defence Secretary John Healy noted that the UK navy was providing monitoring support during the operation, emphasizing the collective effort to cut off funds aiding Russia's aggression.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the action, urging for stricter measures against vessels operating under the shadow fleet to prevent financing the war.
He suggested confiscating and selling the oil carried by these tankers to further support sanctions against Russia.
The seizure follows many Western nations imposing sanctions on Russian energy after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Earlier in January, British armed forces supported a US operation to seize another Russian-flagged tanker in the Atlantic that allegedly breached sanctions.
France previously seized another tanker, the Boracay, off its west coast last October, which was released shortly after.
Shadow fleets are increasingly utilized by countries such as Venezuela, Iran, and Russia to bypass sanctions on oil.
Financial estimates indicate that approximately one in five oil tankers worldwide may be involved in smuggling operations linked to sanctioned countries.
