France announces detention of "Russian-bound" oil tanker

On January 22, the French Navy detained "an oil tanker coming from Russia". French President Emmanuel Macron said this on his page in the social network X.

"This morning, representatives of the French Navy boarded an oil tanker sailing from Russia, which is under international sanctions," Macron wrote, adding that the vessel "was suspected of traveling under a false flag." Under what flag it was traveling, Macron did not specify. The operation, he said, was carried out in the Mediterranean Sea "with the assistance of allies." "It was carried out in strict compliance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea," Macron added, emphasizing that a judicial investigation has been launched in France.

Brent crude oil lost 1.53% in trading on January 22, WTI is trading down by 0.79%.

The French Maritime Prefecture in X specified that it was the tanker Grinch, which left Murmansk, Russia. After inspection of the vessel and verification of documents, the agency's doubts "about the legality of the flag under which the vessel was traveling" were confirmed, the maritime prefecture said in a release. The tanker, escorted by the French Navy, was sent to the anchorage "for further checks," the French Armed Forces said in Xi. It gave no other details.

The Russian side has not yet reacted to the detention of the tanker in France.

Earlier in early January, after several weeks of harassment, the US announced the detention of a Russian-flagged tanker "for violating US sanctions". The vessel was detained in the North Atlantic. It was about the seizure of the oil tanker Bella 1, which changed its name to Marinera after the U.S. began its pursuit. The crew of the tanker will be held accountable, Washington threatened at the time.

This article was AI-translated and verified by a human editor