Royal Navy warship hunts Russian ‘shadow fleet’ tanker before France moves in to seize it
A Royal Navy patrol boat helped capture a Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker, aiding French forces in seizing it in the Mediterranean.
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French military personnel intercepted the tanker, the Grinch, on Thursday in the western Mediterranean as part of a growing crackdown on vessels accused of smuggling Russian oil in defiance of Western sanctions.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK provided tracking support as the ship passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, where it was monitored by HMS Dagger, a Royal Navy patrol vessel based at the British base.
The Grinch has been sanctioned by the UK, EU and US and is accused of being part of Russia’s shadow fleet, a network of tankers used to keep oil money flowing despite an embargo. The ship was reportedly sailing under a false Comoros flag.
Mr Healey said the operation showed Western allies were stepping up action to cut off funding for Moscow’s war.
“Alongside our allies, we are tightening the net around shadow vessels to choke off the funds that fuel Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine,” he said.
French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the interception, saying the vessel had been boarded and diverted by the French navy with allied support.
“The operation was conducted on the high seas in strict compliance with international law,” he said, adding that France was determined to enforce sanctions and uphold maritime rules.
Read more: Sanctioned Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker is sailing through the English Channel
French authorities said inspections raised serious doubts about the legality of the ship’s flag registration, prompting an investigation. The tanker had been travelling from Murmansk in northern Russia when it was intercepted between Spain and Morocco.
A UK defence source confirmed Britain’s involvement in the operation, which comes just two weeks after British forces assisted the US in seizing another sanctioned tanker near Iceland.
In that operation, RAF aircraft and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Tideforce supported the capture of the tanker Marinera, also known as Bella-1, which was accused of operating under a false flag while carrying sanctioned oil.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the seizure of the Grinch, calling it “exactly the kind of resolve needed” to stop Russian oil revenues financing the war.
Russia has repeatedly condemned such seizures, claiming they violate international law. Western governments argue that shadow fleet vessels routinely flout maritime rules and exist solely to dodge sanctions.
France previously seized another sanctioned tanker, the Boracay, off its Atlantic coast last year, underlining a growing willingness among Western states to physically intervene at sea.
Financial intelligence firms estimate that as many as one in five oil tankers worldwide may now be involved in sanction-busting operations linked to Russia, Iran and Venezuela, often using ageing ships, opaque ownership and false flags to stay one step ahead of authorities.