Suddenly, everyone wants to get in on the act.
Thursday, the French Navy, yes, you read that correctly, boarded a Russia-affiliated tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, between Spain and Morocco.
Using X as his medium, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the operation.
We will not tolerate any violation.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 22, 2026
This morning, the French Navy boarded an oil tanker coming from Russia, subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag.
The operation was conducted on the high seas in the Mediterranean,… pic.twitter.com/zhXVdzPx1r
We will not tolerate any violation.
This morning, the French Navy boarded an oil tanker coming from Russia, subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag.
The operation was conducted on the high seas in the Mediterranean, with the support of several of our allies. It was carried out in strict compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
A judicial investigation has been opened. The vessel has been diverted.
We are determined to uphold international law and to ensure the effective enforcement of sanctions.
The activities of the “shadow fleet” contribute to financing the war of aggression against Ukraine.
The tanker in question, the M/T Grinch, is one of the 111 "dark fleet" tankers in the "Aframax" category, which carry from 500,000 to 800,000 barrels. The tanker was broadcasting its identification as registered in the Comoros. It took on a load of Russian crude in Murmansk and is thought to be destined for Syria, a route it last plied in May. Russia barters oil with Syria in exchange for basing rights.
To add some color to today's interdiction of GRINCH (9288851) by the French Navy, this tanker was placed under numerous sanctions over the past year. As such, her movements north of the Suez Canal are extremely limited.
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) January 22, 2026
We believe she was underway to Syria like back in May… pic.twitter.com/s3aglxVTLR
This seizure marks a much more muscular policy by Europe that can only be attributed to the U.S. interdiction operation in the Caribbean, where the U.S. has boarded seven tankers, the most recent on Tuesday; see New: Southern Spear Strikes Again, Tanker Seized Defying Sanctions – RedState.
BACKGROUND:
US Coast Guard in Hot Pursuit of Ford Bronco in the Caribbean – RedState
New Caribbean Quarantine Triumph: Ghost Fleet Vessel Captured – RedState
In September, the French boarded the M/T Phoenix (or Boracay) in the Bay of Biscay carrying a load of Russian crude to India. It was released a few days later. On January 10, the German Deutsche Marine intercepted the M/T Tavian, flying a false Cameroon flag, and refused to allow it to enter the Baltic Sea. The Tavian then diverted to Murmansk.
France seizing one of the "zombie fleet" tankers and Germany refusing to allow access to the Baltic, combined with a very muscular U.S. stance in the Caribbean and North Atlantic, may indicate that there is the courage to crack down on the illegal trade in Russian oil that keeps China's industry and the Russian war machine in operation.
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