In a significant maritime enforcement operation, French naval forces intercepted and boarded the tanker Deyna in the Western Mediterranean on Friday, alleging the vessel belongs to Russia’s sanctioned ‘shadow fleet’ circumventing international oil sanctions. President Emmanuel Macron personally confirmed the operation, characterizing such vessels as ‘war profiteers’ seeking to finance Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine.
The French maritime authorities for the Mediterranean region detailed that the interception was conducted collaboratively with allied nations, including the United Kingdom which provided monitoring support. The Deyna, reportedly sailing from the Russian port of Murmansk while flying a Mozambican flag, aroused suspicion regarding its true registration. Upon boarding, French officials discovered documentation that ‘confirmed doubts about the validity of the flag,’ indicating potential false flag designation.
Following the inspection, the vessel was diverted under French naval escort to a designated anchorage point for comprehensive additional checks. The case has been formally referred to a prosecutor in Marseille for potential legal action.
President Macron emphasized the strategic importance of such operations in a social media statement: ‘These vessels, which circumvent international sanctions and violate the law of the sea, are war profiteers. They seek to generate profits and finance Russia’s war effort. We won’t let this happen.’
This incident represents the latest in a series of similar enforcement actions. In January, France intercepted another oil tanker in the Mediterranean that was subsequently released after payment of a multi-million euro penalty. Last September, French forces boarded an additional oil tanker off France’s Atlantic coast, an action that Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned as piracy.
Western intelligence agencies estimate Russia maintains a fleet of hundreds of vessels specifically designed to evade international sanctions imposed following its invasion of Ukraine. France and allied nations have committed to intensifying efforts to disrupt these maritime sanction-evasion networks.