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France Detains Russian-Linked Shadow Fleet Tanker Deyna in Mediterranean
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
France has detained the Deyna tanker in the Mediterranean, a vessel linked to the so-called “shadow fleet.”
This was reported by French President Emmanuel Macron via X on March 20.
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According to France's maritime prefecture, the tanker was flying the flag of Mozambique and was en route from Russian port Murmansk.
The operation was carried out under Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as the ship is suspected of using a false flag. The operation was conducted jointly with the United Kingdom, and military forces are currently escorting the tanker to a designated anchorage for further checks.
In his message, President Macron emphasized that this operation demonstrates that the ongoing situation in Iran does not divert Paris’s attention from its continued support for Ukraine.
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“These boats that circumvent international sanctions and violate the law of the sea are war profiteers. They seek to rake in profits and fund the Russian war effort,” Macron wrote.
In February, French prosecutors have confirmed that the tanker Grinch, suspected of being part of Russia's shadow fleet, has been released following its detention in late January.
According to Le Figaro's report, the vessel had been held in the Gulf of Fos, near the oil terminal at the Port of Marseille-Fos. The detention was lifted after a financial penalty was paid, marking the end of the legal proceedings.
“The company that owns the vessel was convicted by the Marseille court under a plea agreement procedure and fined,” said a joint statement from the prosecutor’s office, the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture, and the Mediterranean maritime prefecture. However, the statement did not disclose the exact amount of the fine.
In light of rising tensions in the Middle East, French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered the deployment of France’s flagship aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, accompanied by its air assets and a frigate escort, to the Mediterranean.
This decision comes as the situation in the region grows increasingly volatile, with the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran intensifying.
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