French navy intercepts Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker in the Mediterranean – UK Times

The French navy has intercepted one of Russia’s sanctioned “shadow fleet” oil tankers in the Mediterranean with help from Britain.

Emmanuel Macron revealed that French forces had boarded a vessel this morning with allied support. The ship was subject to international sanctions and suspected of operating under a false flag, he said.

The ‘Grinch’ cargo tanker was stopped in the Alboran Sea, east of Gibraltar, with help from the United Kingdom, French authorities said in a statement.

“We are determined to uphold international law and to ensure the effective enforcement of sanctions,” Mr Macron said. “The activities of the ‘shadow fleet’ contribute to financing the war of aggression against Ukraine.”

Ukraine and its Western allies accuse Russia of using a so-called “shadow fleet” of ageing vessels to export huge amounts of crude oil despite sanctions.

open image in gallery

British forces supported a US-led mission to intercept a sanctioned Russian-flagged tanker, the Marinera, earlier this month.

It was not immediately clear what role the UK had in intercepting the tanker today. The Independent approached the Ministry of Defence for comment.

More to follow…