In a significant maritime enforcement operation, French naval forces intercepted the oil tanker ‘Grinch’ on Thursday as it transited through the Mediterranean Sea. The vessel, suspected of belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet, was seized following orders from President Emmanuel Macron who declared the tanker was “subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag.
The interception occurred while the Grinch was en route from the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk. The vessel is currently secured under guard at a southern French port near Marseille while investigations continue.
French authorities have taken the Indian captain, 58, into custody while the remaining crew members—all Indian nationals—remain confined aboard the vessel. The Marseille prosecutor’s office confirmed an ongoing investigation to “verify the validity of the flag used by the tanker,” with French media reporting the vessel was sailing under a Comoros Islands registry.
President Macron emphasized that such shadow fleet operations directly “finance Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.” The French government has established nautical and air exclusion zones around the anchorage site as security measures.
This action represents the latest in a series of Western enforcement measures against Russian energy sanctions implemented following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Earlier in January, British armed forces supported a U.S. operation to seize a Russian-flagged tanker in the Atlantic for sanctions violations.
Shadow fleets have become increasingly prevalent with Venezuela, Iran, and Russia all accused of utilizing them to circumvent oil sanctions. According to financial intelligence firm S&P Global, approximately one in five oil tankers worldwide are now used to transport oil from sanctioned nations.
The operation follows France’s October interception of another sanctioned tanker, the Boracay, which was released after several days of investigation.