Macron tells Zelenskyy France has to release seized Russian tanker Due to legal limits

France has been forced to release a seized tanker belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” due to requirements of national legislation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said French President Emmanuel Macron informed him of the decision during a phone call on January 27, Caliber.Az reports via Ukrainian media. 

Macron reportedly noted that existing French law does not allow the continued detention of such vessels.

At the same time, the French president expressed his intention to pursue legislative changes that would enable France to keep detained Russian tankers under arrest in the future.

The outlet also recalled that in all previous cases involving the detention of “shadow fleet” tankers by European countries, the vessels were eventually released after a period of time.

Under international maritime law, the seizure of civilian vessels in international waters is prohibited, except in a limited number of specific cases. Moreover, blocking maritime traffic to Russian ports could be interpreted by Moscow as an act of war. As a result, despite repeated statements and threats by European officials regarding the seizure of Russian shadow fleet tankers, such actions have so far remained largely symbolic, typically involving temporary detention followed by release.

The term “shadow fleet” refers to a large network of oil tankers and other vessels that Russia uses to evade Western sanctions imposed over its war in Ukraine. The fleet is believed to comprise over 400 ships. Russia’s shadow fleet has grown since the 2022 price-cap sanctions and includes hundreds of vessels involved in moving Russian crude to buyers such as India and China despite sanctions

On January 22, the French Navy intercepted and diverted the oil tanker Grinch in the western Mediterranean Sea. The ship, which had departed from Murmansk and was sailing under a Comoros flag, was boarded at sea with support from allied naval intelligence and redirected to the French port of Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer for investigation.

On January 25, French authorities detained the ship’s Indian captain as part of the probe, examining whether the flag and navigation documents were valid and if sanctions were breached. The crew, also Indian nationals, remain on board.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the tanker as sanctioned and operating under a false flag, a measure used to conceal true identity and sanction status. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the interception as part of efforts to cut off revenue that helps finance Russia’s war effort.

By Khagan Isayev