The French Navy, with the help of several allied countries, seized a tanker in the Mediterranean on Thursday, which allegedly belongs to the Russian so-called shadow fleet. French President Emmanuel Macron announced it on the X platform. TASR informs about it with reference to AP and AFP agencies.
In short:
- The French Navy detained a Russian tanker in the Mediterranean Sea
- The tanker Grinch was suspected of sailing under a false flag
- The operation was supported by allied countries, including Great Britain
“This morning, the French navy boarded an oil tanker coming from Russia, subject to international sanctions and suspected of sailing under a false flag,” Macron said. According to him, the operation was carried out on the open sea in full compliance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Intervention off the coast of Africa
Macron also said the relevant authorities had launched an investigation and the vessel had been “diverted”, but did not specify where.
“We are determined to uphold international law and ensure the effective enforcement of sanctions (against Russia). The ‘Shadow Fleet’ contributes to the financing of the war of aggression against Ukraine,” Macron wrote.
Sky News reported that Britain was also involved in the operation, providing intelligence.
The office of the French maritime prefect for the Mediterranean later reported that the strike took place between the coasts of Spain and North Africa. The tanker Grinch, which sailed from Murmansk, a Russian port city in the Barents Sea, was detained. The aim of the operation was to examine accompanying documents, which confirmed the suspicion that the tanker was sailing under a false flag. For this reason, the French Navy escorted him to the anchorage for further checks.
Tanker part of the shadow fleet
A tanker named Grinch is on the list of ships of the Russian shadow fleet, which has been sanctioned by the United Kingdom. However, he is listed under the name Carl on the list compiled by the European Union and the United States. According to the marinetraffic website, which specializes in tracking the movement of ships, it was eastbound and sailing under the Comoros flag at the time of the seizure. The crew comes from India.
Macron’s announcement came at a time when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and in his speech he also talked about Russian tankers sailing around Europe without Ukraine’s allies taking action against them. France and other countries have vowed to crack down on a shadow fleet of oil tankers that violates anti-Russian sanctions. According to experts, this fleet consists of around 400 ships.
