The French navy intercepted the sanctioned tanker GRINCH in the Western Mediterranean, suspecting it of belonging to a "shadow fleet" that helps Russia evade sanctions. President Macron said the operation had allied support and complied with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The vessel, which departed Murmansk and was listed under a Comoros flag by LSEG, was diverted to Marseille for investigation. Ukrainian President Zelenskiy backed the move and urged seizure and sale of oil from such ships.
French Navy Intercepts Sanctioned Russian Tanker 'GRINCH' in Western Mediterranean
A photo released on January 22, 2026, said to show the intervention of the French Navy on the high seas, in the Alboran Sea, on the cargo tanker GRINCH, which had departed from Murmansk, Russia. Etat-major des armees/France/Handout via REUTERS
The French navy intercepted a Russian oil tanker, the GRINCH, on Thursday in the Western Mediterranean on suspicion that it is part of a so-called "shadow fleet" used to move Kremlin crude around international sanctions.
President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X that the operation "was carried out ... with the support of several of our allies" and stressed it "complied fully with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea." French maritime police said the interception occurred on the high seas between Spain's southern coast and Morocco's northern coast.
Allied Support and Allegations
French authorities said navies from other countries, including Britain, backed the operation. Data from LSEG indicated the GRINCH was sailing under a Comoros flag after departing Murmansk in northern Russia. French officials say the vessel is subject to international sanctions and is suspected of operating under a false flag.
A photo released on January 22, 2026, said to show the intervention of the French Navy on the high seas, in the Alboran Sea, on the cargo tanker GRINCH, which had departed from Murmansk, Russia. Etat-major des armees/France/Handout via REUTERS
Macron warned that activities of the shadow fleet "contribute to financing (Russia's) war of aggression against Ukraine." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy endorsed the action on X, urging that oil carried by such vessels be confiscated and sold to deny funds that might finance the war.
Legal Steps and Russian Reaction
The case has been referred to the prosecutor in Marseille, which handles maritime law matters; the prosecutor ordered the ship diverted for further investigation. Russia's TASS news agency reported that Moscow said France had not notified it of the interception, and the Russian consulate in Marseille is trying to determine whether any crew members are Russian.
In October, France briefly detained another sanctioned tanker, the Boracay, off its west coast before releasing it a few days later.
Context: The European Union has adopted 19 packages of sanctions against Russia. Authorities say Moscow has adapted by using a "shadow fleet" of vessels to continue large-scale oil exports—often at discounted prices—to buyers such as India and China.
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