A tanker believed to be linked to Russia’s sanctions-busting “shadow fleet” is set to arrive at the French port of Marseille-Fos. Sources have indicated that this follows a recent interception by the French navy.
The oil tanker, named “Grinch,” was boarded by French forces, with assistance from allied nations, on Thursday while traversing the waters between Spain and Morocco. It had commenced its journey from Murmansk, a port situated in the Russian Arctic.
According to information from the sources, the tanker is scheduled to dock on Saturday morning.
French President Emmanuel Macron disclosed on Thursday that the French Navy had intercepted a vessel under international sanctions and suspected of operating under a false flag. The ship “Grinch” is reportedly under sanctions imposed by the United Kingdom, while another vessel with the same registration, named “Carl,” is sanctioned by both the United States and the European Union.
Tracking data from maritime websites like marinetraffic and vesselfinder indicated that the ship had been sailing under the flag of Comoros. Images released by the French military depicted masked soldiers boarding the tanker, illustrating an operation that involved navy boats and helicopters.
The vessel is suspected of being part of a covert fleet that transports oil for countries including Russia and Iran, thereby violating U.S. sanctions. This interception marks the second such incident in a few months; in late September, France detained a Russian-linked ship called the Boracay, which had claimed to be flagged in Benin. This action has drawn criticism from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who described the seizure as “piracy.”
The Chinese captain of the Boracay is scheduled to face trial in France in February, as the tensions surrounding maritime activities and sanctions continue to escalate.
