France seizes suspected Russian 'shadow fleet' oil tanker in the MediterraneanEmmanuel Macron/XThe Grinch had set sail from Murmansk in northern Russia, French officials saidFrance 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 said the tanker, named the Grinch, was "subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag". The French navy, with the assistance of allies, boarded the vessel on Thursday morning between Spain and Morocco. French maritime authorities said that a search of the vessel had "confirmed the doubts as to the regularity of the flag". Russia's so-called shadow fleet is a clandestine network of tankers used to evade Western sanctions on Russian oil exports. Announcing the interception on X, Macron said: "We are determined to uphold international law and to ensure the effective enforcement of sanctions."The activities of the "shadow fleet" contribute to financing the war of aggression against Ukraine."The French president added that an investigation had been launched and the vessel had been"diverted". The Grinch was travelling from the Arctic port of Murmansk in northern Russia when it was intercepted, French authorities said.
