The French navy intercepted a Russian oil tanker in the western Mediterranean Sea on Thursday, suspected of being part of the so-called "shadow fleet," used by Russia to export oil despite the international sanctions imposed because of the war in Ukraine.
The operation was carried out on the high seas, between the southern coast of Spain and the north of Morocco, with the support of several allied countries, including the United Kingdom.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the interception in a message posted on the social network X, in which he stated that the operation was conducted in full compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
According to Macron, the vessel was subject to international sanctions and there were indications that it was operating under a false flag. The head of state added that the activities of the shadow fleet help finance Russia's "war of aggression" against Ukraine.
The intercepted tanker, identified as GRINCH, had departed from the port of Murmansk in northern Russia and was sailing under the flag of Comoros, according to data from the company LSEG.
This type of flag is common among the vessels that make up the shadow fleet, a group of ships that operate outside the traditional circuits of the Western maritime industry in order to avoid controls and restrictions.
