Russia’s war effort suffered another blow on Thursday after a sanctioned tanker capable of carrying 600,000 barrels of oil was seized in the Mediterranean.
The operation to board the ship, named Grinch, was led by French forces.
In a warning to Moscow, which relies on an estimated $100 billion from its shadow fleet exports, French President Emmanuel Macron said: “We will let nothing pass.”
Grinch was seized with help from several European allies, including Britain which used its radar tracking stations in Gibraltar to identify and follow the ship that was boarded between Spain and Morocco.
“The activities of the shadow fleet help finance the war of aggression against Ukraine,” Mr Macron added. It is understood the cargo was worth up to $35 million.
Since the US dramatically seized the Russian-flagged Marinera tanker earlier this month, there have now been at least eight detained by western powers in a move welcomed by Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The action was “exactly the kind of resolve needed” to stop Russian oil revenues from financing the invasion, he said. “Vessels must be apprehended,” he added on X. “And wouldn’t it be fair to confiscate and sell the oil carried by these tankers?”
The French navy flew two specialised NH90 Caiman Marine helicopters landing military personnel on to the deck of the 115,000 tonne Aframax class crude carrier on Thursday morning.
The Royal Navy also deployed HMS Dagger, a fast patrol boat capable of 41 knots, that monitored the vessel, supporting the French operation with tracking information and images.
“Deterring, disrupting and degrading the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for this government,” said UK Defence Secretary John Healey.
“Alongside our allies, we are stepping up our response to shadow vessels – to choke off the funds that fuel Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
The vessel, sanctioned by the UK, US and EU, was travelling from the Arctic port of Murmansk loaded with Russian oil, understood to be part of Moscow’s 600-ship fleet of sanctioned tankers.
It was sailing under the flag of the Comoros Islands, but the International Maritime Organisation stated that it was a “falsely flagged” vessel, meaning it was stateless and open to seizure.
An inspection team searched the ship and reviewed documents found on board, which “confirmed doubts regarding the regularity of the flag being flown”, the Mediterranean Maritime Prefecture said.
Grinch is now being escorted by the French navy to an anchorage off France.
“We are determined to uphold international law and to ensure the effective enforcement of sanctions,” Mr Macron stated in his post showing a picture of a French helicopter hovering over a ship.
It has also been reported to that Britain’s Special Boat Service has ramped up their training to board sanctioned Russian tankers, that pass through UK waters on an almost daily basis.
Western countries have sanctioned a large number of shadow tankers transporting Russian oil in defiance of sanctions imposed by the US, EU and UK following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
