France detained a Russia-linked oil tanker in the Mediterranean near Sicily this week, marking another maritime seizure targeting Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet,” Macron said on Thursday.
Macron wrote that on Tuesday the French navy boarded the crude tanker Deliver as it passed off the coast of Sicily. He said the boarding took place in breach of maritime law and was prompted by doubts about the validity of the ship’s registration.
French authorities escorted the tanker to an anchorage point for further inspection. Macron described the Deliver as part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which is used to circumvent Western sanctions. He said France would not allow these vessels to evade sanctions and fund Russia’s war effort.
The seizure was described as France’s latest operation of this kind, with Macron saying it was the fifth time since September that French forces boarded a suspected shadow fleet vessel. The post also pointed to prior seizures, including a case in late May where French authorities detained the tanker Tagor in the Atlantic, which was later released.
Russia has accused France of piracy over such interceptions.
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