President Emmanuel Macron announced that French forces boarded an oil tanker carrying Russian oil.
“This morning, the French Navy boarded an oil tanker coming from Russia, subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag,” the French leader wrote on X Thursday. “The operation was conducted on the high seas in the Mediterranean, with the support of several of our allies.”
We will not tolerate any violation.
This morning, the French Navy boarded an oil tanker coming from Russia, subject to international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag.
The operation was conducted on the high seas in the Mediterranean,… pic.twitter.com/zhXVdzPx1r
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 22, 2026
Macron said that the vessel, “Grinch,” was part of the Russian “shadow fleet” of oil tankers. The French leader claimed that the seizure occurred in accordance with “the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
However, the Security Council has not adopted sanctions on Russian oil, and the UN opposes unilateral cohesive economic measures.
In an article for Responsible Statecraft earlier this month, Anatol Lieven, Director of the Eurasia Program, warned that seizing Russian ships on the high seas could be viewed as an “act of war.” He explained that Moscow could retaliate by seizing European cargo ships.
Ukrainian President Zelensky praised Macron for seizing the Grinch. “Thank you, France! Thank you, Marcon!” he wrote on X. “This is exactly the kind of resolve needed to ensure that Russian oil no longer finances Russia’s war. Russian tankers operating near European shores must be stopped.”
Thank you, France! Thank you, @EmmanuelMacron! This is exactly the kind of resolve needed to ensure that Russian oil no longer finances Russia’s war. Russian tankers operating near European shores must be stopped. Sanctions against the entire infrastructure of the shadow fleet… https://t.co/6t0DbJ9xS1
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 22, 2026
Russia said it is aware of France’s seizure of the ship but did not provide a comment on the matter.
France seizing a Russian ship follows the US boarding seven tankers suspected of carrying Venezuelan oil. One of those vessels was Russian-flagged. On Thursday, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that it was “bewilderment and disappointment” that the US has not released the crew of the tanker.
