The French navy has allegedly taken control of a Russian oil tanker in the Mediterranean, believed to be part of what some are calling Russia’s Shadow Fleet. This fleet reportedly comprises ships that use deceptive practices to transport oil and evade Western sanctions.
On Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron shared that French troops boarded and inspected the tanker, which falls under international sanctions. It’s noted that the ship was flying the Comorian flag while coming from Murmansk, a location in northern Russia.
In his post on X, Macron indicated that the operation took place in international waters with help from various allies. He further mentioned that the tanker was redirected for more thorough inspection.
French maritime police identified the seized vessel as the Grinch, apprehended in the western Mediterranean between Spain and Morocco. Some sources indicated that this interception was confirmed by the Associated Press.
Officials, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed that France and Britain had exchanged intel concerning the ship.
This incident adds to a rising trend of Russia-related vessels being intercepted by authorities in the U.S. and Europe, as efforts to disrupt Russian oil exports ramp up.
Earlier in January, another tanker—a Russian-flagged vessel called Marinella—was reportedly detained in the North Atlantic by U.S. military officials.
In the meantime, the Mediterranean Maritime Prefecture of France disclosed that a crew aboard the Grinch performed an inspection and discovered documents that raised suspicions regarding the legitimacy of the ship’s flag.
The tanker is currently being moved under escort by the French Navy for further verification. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Union has enacted sanctions on Russia a total of 19 times.
Nevertheless, Russia continues to ship millions of barrels of oil—primarily to China and India—typically at discounted rates. This so-called “Shadow Fleet” consists of hundreds of older, poorly regulated tankers that change names and flags to evade sanctions and oversight.
According to maritime data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence, there are approximately 1,400 tankers globally involved in this shadowy trade, many sanctioned by Western governments.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has voiced his discontent with European countries not doing enough to curb the transport of Russian oil via these sanctioned vessels, asserting that such actions are financing the war against Ukraine.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, he questioned, “Why can’t Europe stop the tankers of the ‘shadow fleet’ and seize the oil?” Zelenskiy reiterated that the oil moving along European coasts is contributing to Ukraine’s challenges and aggravating European instability.
