The French navy has reportedly taken control of a Russian oil tanker in the Mediterranean, suspected of being part of a network referred to as Russia’s “Shadow Fleet.” This network consists of vessels that operate under false flags to bypass Western sanctions aimed at limiting Russian oil exports.
On Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron revealed that French forces had boarded and inspected the tanker, which is under international sanctions.
This tanker was said to be flying the Comorian flag and was traveling from Murmansk in northern Russia.
In a post on X, Macron noted that the operation occurred in international waters, with assistance from several allied nations.
The ship, named Grinch, was captured in the western Mediterranean, positioned between the southern coast of Spain and Morocco, according to reports from French maritime police.
Information about the tanker had been shared between French and British authorities, as confirmed by military officials who spoke under anonymity.
This seizure adds to a growing list of vessels linked to Russia that have been intercepted by U.S. and European authorities lately, as these nations enhance their efforts to disrupt Russian oil movements.
Earlier in January, for instance, U.S. forces seized another tanker in the Atlantic that was under sanctions.
France’s Mediterranean Maritime Prefecture stated that the team aboard the Grinch raised concerns over the legitimacy of the ship’s documentation during their inspection.
The tanker is currently being escorted to a French port for further verification.
Since Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Union has implemented 19 rounds of sanctions against Russia.
Despite these actions, Russia continues to export vast quantities of oil, primarily to China and India, often at reduced rates.
The so-called “Shadow Fleet” comprises hundreds of outdated and loosely regulated tankers that frequently change names, ownership, and flags to evade detection.
According to maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence, there are around 1,400 such shadow tankers globally, many subject to sanctions from the U.S., U.K., and Europe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has reprimanded European nations for not doing enough to halt the shipment of Russian oil via these sanctioned vessels, asserting that such activities are financing the war against Ukraine.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, he questioned, “If we can stop the tankers of the Shadow Fleet and seize the oil, why can’t Europe?” adding that “Russian oil is being carried along Europe’s coasts, funding warfare and destabilization.”
