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France detains captain of suspected
Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker seized in Mediterranean
[January 26, 2026]
PARIS (AP) — The captain of a tanker intercepted in the
Mediterranean Sea by the French navy on suspicion of shipping oil in
violation of sanctions against Russia was being held in custody on
Sunday for questioning.
The ship’s Indian captain, 58, was handed to judicial authorities
following the diversion of the oil tanker, Grinch, and its arrival at
anchorage in the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer, the Marseille prosecutor’s office
said in a statement.
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In this photo, provided by the French Army on Thursday, Jan 22, 2026, an
oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea that traveled from Russia, is
pictured after being intercepted by France's Navy. (Etat-Major des
Armees via AP) |
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The
investigation is being conducted by the Maritime Gendarmerie’s
Investigation Unit in Toulon, jointly with the Marseille Ship
Safety Centre, on charges of failure to fly a valid flag,
according to the statement, which added that the crew, also of
Indian nationality, was being kept on board.
"The purpose of the investigation is to verify the validity of
the flag flown by the tanker and the documents required for its
navigation,” the statement said.
The Grinch came from Murmansk in northwestern Russia and is
suspected of being part of the sanctioned Russian “shadow
fleet." A video provided by the French military showed members
of the navy boarding the ship from a helicopter earlier this
week.
Russia is believed to be using a fleet of over 400 ships to
evade sanctions over its war on Ukraine. France and other
countries have vowed to crack down.
The fleet comprises aging vessels and tankers owned by
nontransparent entities with addresses in non-sanctioning
countries, and sailing under flags from such countries.
Last September, French naval forces boarded another oil tanker
off the French Atlantic coast that President Emmanuel Macron
also linked to the shadow fleet. Putin denounced that
interception as an act of piracy.
That tanker’s captain will go on trial in February over the
crew’s alleged refusal to cooperate, according to French
judicial authorities.
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