Russia denies connection to detained French tanker

Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has commented on a range of international and regional issues, addressing Western actions and domestic developments in Ukraine during a recent briefing.

Zakharova dismissed any connection between Russia and the oil tanker Grinch, which was recently detained in France, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

She said the vessel’s crew are all Indian nationals and that no information has been released about the cargo. “The detained ship has no connection whatsoever to our country,” she stressed.

The diplomat also made a pointed remark regarding Ukraine, amid a controversy surrounding Ukrainian ballet performers who staged Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Zakharova suggested that Ukraine’s authorities might as well ban the periodic table, taking the country’s policy of restricting Russian culture to its logical extreme. “I wonder, when will Ukraine ban the periodic table?” she asked, warning that such measures risk erasing Ukraine’s cultural identity.

Turning to the European Union, Zakharova accused EU leaders of prioritising confrontation with Russia over the interests of Hungary and Slovakia. She recalled that both countries had considered legal action against Brussels following a ban on Russian gas imports. “Brussels’s insistence on pursuing confrontation with Russia at all costs has overridden the interests of these two countries. Is this the first time? Certainly not,” she said.

The tanker Grinch, detained by the French Navy over alleged flag irregularities, was escorted to the Port of Marseille-Fos on January 24. Footage showed the vessel anchored offshore with a French Navy ship nearby.

The maritime prefecture said the tanker has been “placed at the disposal of the Marseille prosecutor’s office” for a preliminary investigation. Restricted navigation and flight zones have been set up around the vessel.

Prosecutors and maritime gendarmerie investigators will inspect the tanker to determine its ownership. The Grinch was reportedly sailing under the flag of the Comoros Islands at the time of detention.

By Aghakazim Guliyev