US EditionFrench navy intercepts sanctioned Russian tanker in Mediterranean, Macron says
- On Thursday, January 22, 2026, the French Navy intercepted the sanctioned Russian oil tanker the Grinch in the western Mediterranean, suspecting it of flying a false flag.
- Western leaders describe the problem as a 'shadow fleet' of aging, largely uninsured tankers used to move sanctioned oil, with experts estimating over 400 vessels and the tanker sanctioned by the United States, European Union, and United Kingdom.
- Using United Kingdom-provided intelligence, French naval forces deployed two helicopters to board the tanker and inspect its documentation, releasing photos of the operation.
- French authorities opened a judicial probe and are escorting the vessel, while French President Emmanuel Macron wrote `We are determined to uphold international law and to ensure the effective enforcement of sanctions`.
- Recent allied moves show the interdiction campaign is intensifying, following seven tankers seized by the United States and a Helsinki-based Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air report on about 11 million tonnes moved by the shadow fleet.
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166 Articles
Royal Navy intelligence supports French seizure of Russian shadow fleet tanker - Navy Lookout
Today, a sanctioned Russian oil tanker was seized in the Mediterranean by the French Navy, demonstrating a growing shift from rhetoric by European nations towards more active enforcement of sanctions at sea. UK defence officials have confirmed that RN Gibraltar Squadron patrol boat, HMS Dagger, had monitored the tanker Grinch passing Eastward through the Gibraltar […] The post Royal Navy intelligence supports French seizure of Russian shadow fle…
Macron: French Forces Have Boarded a Russian Oil Tanker in the Mediterranean - News From Antiwar.com
President Emmanuel Macron announced that French forces boarded an oil tanker carrying Russian oil. “This morning, the French Navy boarded an oil tanker coming from Russia, subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag,” the French leader wrote on X Thursday. “The operation was conducted on the…
Once again, the French Navy has boarded an oil tanker that is supposed to be in contact with Russia. Ukrainian President Selenskyy welcomed the "decisive" action against the "Grinch".
In the Mediterranean, France stops a tanker that comes from Russia and could fly under false flags. President Selenskyj announces new talks and an agreement with Donald Trump on US security guarantees. All news in the ticker.
Watauga Democrat
French navy boards tanker 'from Russia' in Mediterranean
France's navy, with the help of allies, on Thursday boarded a tanker alleged to be from Russia's sanction-busting "shadow fleet" in the Mediterranean, President Emmanuel Macron said.
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