Russian oil tanker ‘The Grinch’ intercepted as US, allies escalate sanctions crackdown

The French navy intercepted a Russian lipid tanker successful the Mediterranean suspected of operating arsenic portion of Moscow’s shadiness fleet, a web of falsely-flagged vessels utilized to export lipid and debar Western sanctions, according to reports.

President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that French forces had boarded and searched the tanker, which is taxable to planetary sanctions. 

The vessel was reportedly sailing from Murmansk, successful bluish Russia, nether a Comoros flag.

Writing connected X, Macron said the cognition took spot connected the precocious seas successful the Mediterranean with the enactment of respective allied countries.

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The French president added that the vas had been diverted for further checks.

The tanker, identified arsenic the Grinch, was intercepted betwixt the confederate seashore of Spain and the bluish seashore of Morocco successful the occidental Mediterranean, French maritime constabulary said. 

The Associated Press reported the interception.

France and the U.K., gathered and shared quality connected the vessel, according to French subject officials who spoke to The Associated Press connected information of anonymity.

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An planetary cognition stopped a Russian shadiness fleet tanker called The Grinch successful the Mediterranean. (Etat Major des Armees / AP)

The interception is the latest successful a increasing fig of Russian-linked vessels stopped by U.S. and European authorities successful caller months arsenic Western powers intensify efforts to disrupt Russia’s lipid exports.

As antecedently reported by Fox News Digital, successful aboriginal January U.S. forces seized different sanctioned tanker successful the Atlantic Ocean.

U.S. European Command (EUCOM) announced the seizure of the Russian-flagged Marinera lipid tanker successful the North Atlantic Sea.

Meanwhile, France’s Mediterranean Maritime Prefecture said the squad that boarded The Grinch connected Thursday had inspected the vas and decided documents raised doubts astir the regularity of the vessel’s flag.

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The Russian lipid tanker intercepted betwixt Spain and Morocco. (Etat Major des Armees )

The tanker is being escorted by the French navy to an anchorage for further verification.

The European Union has imposed 19 rounds of sanctions connected Russia since its full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful 2022. 

Despite those measures, Russia has continued to export millions of barrels of lipid chiefly to China and India and often astatine discounted prices.

What has go known arsenic a "shadow fleet" consists of hundreds of aged and poorly regulated tankers that alteration names, ownership structures and flags to debar detection and sanctions.

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hug aft signing an statement Monday, Nov. 17, 2025 astatine the Villacoublay aerial basal adjacent Paris. (Christophe Ena/AP Photo, Pool)

Maritime information steadfast Lloyd’s List Intelligence estimates the planetary shadiness fleet astatine astir 1,400 tankers, galore of which are taxable to U.S., British oregon European sanctions, Reuters reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized European countries for not doing much to halt the transport of Russian lipid utilizing sanctioned vessels and which helium says helps money the warfare successful Ukraine.

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"Why tin [U.S. President Donald Trump] halt tankers of the ‘shadow fleet’ and prehend their oil, portion Europe can’t?" Zelensky said astatine the World Economic Forum successful Davos, Switzerland connected Thursday.

"Russian lipid is transported close on the European coast. This lipid funds the warfare against Ukraine. This lipid helps destabilize Europe," Zelenskyy added.