French navy intercepts suspected Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker in Mediterranean

January 22, 2026

TL;DR

French navy intercepted a Russian oil tanker, the Grinch, in the Mediterranean.
The tanker is suspected of being part of the Russian "shadow fleet" that bypasses sanctions.
An examination of documents confirmed doubts about the regularity of the tanker's flag.
The vessel is being escorted to a point of anchorage for further verification.
The "shadow fleet" consists of hundreds of unregulated tankers used to export Russian oil despite sanctions.
Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, welcomed the interception, suggesting confiscation of the oil.
France had previously detained a sanctioned tanker, the Boracay, in October.
Other recent interceptions of Russian-linked tankers have occurred off Venezuela and between Iceland and Scotland.

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