Overview
- The tanker, identified as Grinch, is being escorted to port for inspections following the at-sea interception.
- French maritime officials report the ship likely sailed under a Comoros flag fraudulently, and the crew are Indian nationals.
- President Emmanuel Macron said the action was coordinated with allies and supported by British intelligence.
- Macron emphasized upholding international law and said the shadow fleet contributes to financing Russia’s war against Ukraine.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked France and urged confiscating oil from such ships, as France cites a prior October boarding and the U.S. has recently seized multiple tankers.