The French navy intercepted a Russian oil tanker, the Grinch, in the Mediterranean, suspected of being part of a shadow fleet evading Western sanctions. President Emmanuel Macron announced that the operation, conducted with allied support, involved boarding and inspecting the ship, which was sailing under a Comoros flag. Despite ongoing sanctions, Russia continues to export oil, primarily to China and India, using a network of vessels that change names and flags to avoid detection. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy criticized European nations for not taking stronger actions against such illicit oil transport, which he claims funds the war in Ukraine.
