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 announced that the tanker, named the Grinch, was 'subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag'.
The French navy, with support from allies including the UK, boarded the vessel on Thursday morning between Spain and Morocco, confirming suspicions regarding the vessel's flag.
Russia's embassy in Paris noted that it had not been informed of the seizure.
Moscow's shadow fleet is known to consist of old tankers that evade sanctions on Russian oil exports by using obscure ownership or insurance schemes.
The Grinch was reportedly en route from the Arctic port of Murmansk when intercepted, flying a Comoros flag according to ship tracking websites.
Macron asserted the determination to enforce international law and sanctions against Russia, emphasizing the role of the shadow fleet in financing the war against Ukraine.
UK Defence Secretary John Healy remarked that British naval support helped track the tanker through the Straits of Gibraltar, stating that action is being taken to hinder funding for Putin's invasion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky commended the seizure, urging for the confiscation and sale of oil carried by such tankers to further impact the financing of Russia's military actions.
This incident follows a series of restrictions imposed by Western nations on Russian energy exports since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In earlier operations, the UK armed forces participated in a US-led effort to seize other sanctioned Russian vessels, signaling a robust international stance against sanction violations.
With shadow fleets reportedly on the rise, financial experts estimate that one in five oil tankers worldwide are involved in smuggling oil from sanctioned territories.
