France releases sanctioned tanker "Deliver" after fine

French authorities have released the tanker Deliver, which was detained in June on suspicion of operating under a false flag, allowing it to resume its voyage after a court-imposed fine was paid, Le Parisien reported.

The vessel, which had been sailing from the Russian port of Primorsk to Singapore under the flag of Cameroon, was intercepted by the French Navy on June 23 in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Sicily.

French President Emmanuel Macron subsequently said the tanker was part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” describing the case as evidence of “the determination of Europeans to counter Russia.” Deliver was the fifth oil tanker detained by French authorities since September last year.

Cameroon revoked the vessel’s right to sail under its flag in late May. Lacking documentation confirming its nationality, the 275-metre tanker was escorted by the French Navy to the port of Fos-sur-Mer near Marseille.

On July 22, a court in Marseille fined the ship-owning company, though the amount of the penalty was not disclosed. Following the ruling and payment, the vessel was cleared to continue its journey.

Deliver has been subject to European Union sanctions since February 2025 and is suspected of being used to circumvent restrictions on Russian oil exports.

By Tamilla Hasanova