French prosecutors say the Russian-linked tanker “Grinch” is under investigation after its interception in the western Mediterranean.
Posted on January 24, 2026
The French navy has reportedly diverted a tanker, suspected of being part of Russia's sanctions-busting “shadow fleet,” to the port of Marseille-Fos for further investigation, according to reports.
The prosecutor's office in the southern French city of Marseille, which handles maritime law matters and is investigating the case, said Friday that the ship had been diverted, but did not specify where.
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A source close to the case told the AFP news agency that the tanker is expected to arrive at the port of Marseille-Fos in southern France on Saturday morning.
The tanker 'Grinch' was intercepted by French naval forces on Thursday while it was on the high seas in the western Mediterranean, between the southern coast of Spain and the northern coast of Morocco, the French maritime police said in a statement.
He added that the navies of other countries, including Britain, supported the operation.
Video footage released by the French military of the operation showed a unit of soldiers descending from a helicopter onto the deck of the Russian-linked ship. A navy ship and two navy helicopters were reportedly involved in the boarding of the ship.
The Grinch, sailing under the flag of the Comoros, left the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk in early January and is suspected of operating under a false flag and belonging to the secret fleet of ships that allows Russia to export oil around the world despite international sanctions due to Moscow's war against Ukraine.
The AFP news agency reported that a ship called “Grinch” is under sanctions by the United Kingdom, while another called “Carl” – with the same registration number – is sanctioned by the United States and the European Union.
Prosecutors in Marseille said they were investigating the alleged failure to confirm the ship's nationality.
The EU has imposed 19 sanctions packages against Russia, but Moscow has accommodated most of the measures and continues to sell millions of barrels of oil to countries such as India and China, usually at discounted prices.
Much of the oil, which is key to financing its war in Ukraine, is transported by what is known as a shadow fleet of vessels that operate outside the regulations of the Western maritime industry.
In October, France detained another sanctioned tanker linked to Russia, the Boracay, off its western coast and released it after a few days.
The Chinese captain of the Boracay will stand trial in France in February over the crew's alleged refusal to cooperate with investigators, according to French judicial authorities.
