The tanker “Deliver” violated the law of the sea, Macron said on platform X. The video clip he shared shows armed personnel boarding the vessel. The action took place near the Italian island.
According to Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin, the tanker is believed to be part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet. This consists of freighters with opaque ownership structures that Moscow uses to circumvent Western sanctions. The “Deliver” is suspected of sailing under a false flag, Vautrin said.
To weaken Russia’s war economy, the financing channels must be cut off, the minister stressed. The shadow fleet’s activities also pose an immediate threat to maritime safety and the environment. Macron said the operation demonstrates the Europeans’ resolve: “We will not let the shadow fleet circumvent sanctions and finance Russia’s war efforts.”
France has stopped several ships in recent months that it attributed to the Russian shadow fleet. Just recently, the British navy conducted a similar operation: it intercepted the tanker “Smyrtos” in the English Channel. According to the presidential administration, Moscow is considering legal action over this incident. The British government is reportedly considering auctioning off the roughly 100,000 tons of Russian crude oil aboard the “Smyrtos,” with proceeds going to Ukraine, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Source: www.spiegel.de
