ALBAWABA- French naval forces intercepted and boarded the oil tanker Grinch in the western Mediterranean between Spain and Morocco, in a high-profile enforcement of international sanctions on Russian oil exports.
French officials said the vessel was suspected of being part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” a network of tankers used to circumvent Western restrictions. The Grinch was carrying crude oil loaded in Murmansk, northwestern Russia, and was sailing under a false flag.
President Emmanuel Macron announced on X that the operation was conducted on the high seas in coordination with allies, including the United Kingdom, and in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
A judicial investigation has been opened, and the tanker has been diverted to a French port for further inspection. The boarding, carried out with naval helicopters and commandos, concluded without casualties.
Built in 2004 and capable of transporting around 600,000 barrels of oil, the Grinch was sanctioned by the United States in January 2025 for breaching the G7 price cap on Russian crude, followed by similar measures from the EU, the UK, Canada, and Switzerland.
The interception marks the eighth Western seizure of a shadow fleet vessel since sanctions were tightened after Russia’s 2022 war with Ukraine.
Western governments estimate that Russia’s shadow fleet, typically composed of aging, uninsured tankers operating under flags of convenience, generates up to $100 billion annually in oil revenue, helping finance Moscow’s war effort.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the action, thanking Macron and calling for tougher measures, including the confiscation and sale of seized cargoes to support Ukraine.
