France seizes oil tanker in Mediterranean while it was sailing from Russia

French President Emmanuel Macron announced that a tanker intercepted by the French Navy in the Mediterranean is believed to be owned by Russia’s “shadow fleet”. The oil tanker, identified as the “Grinch”, was reportedly coming from Russia and subject to international sanctions.

According to Macron, the vessel was suspected of flying a false flag. The operation took place on the high seas in the Mediterranean, with support from several French allies. The interception occurred in compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The incident comes as the European Union has imposed multiple sanctions packages against Russia since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Despite these economic curbs, Russia continues to sell oil to countries such as China and India at discounted prices.

A recent report from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air found that over 100 Russian vessels flew a false flag in the first nine months of 2025, transporting approximately 11 million tonnes of oil valued at 4.7 billion euros ($5.5bn).

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed gratitude to Macron for intercepting the vessel, stating that it is essential to prevent Russian oil from financing its war efforts.

The Russian embassy in France stated that they were not notified about the interception and are currently seeking information on potential Russian citizens among the crew members.

Source: Al Jazeera