The French Navy seized an oil tanker in the Western Mediterranean on Friday, identified as belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet.” President Emmanuel Macron stated the fleet is used to circumvent Western sanctions on Russian crude oil exports.
The intercepted vessel, named Deyna, had departed from the Russian port of Murmansk. The operation involved boarding and seizing the tanker, with monitoring support from allies including the United Kingdom.
The seizure occurred in cooperation with international partners. The tanker is suspected of having opaque ownership, characteristic of vessels within Moscow’s shadow fleet.