France has stepped up Europe’s campaign against Russia’s sanctions-busting “shadow fleet”, intercepting another tanker accused of helping Moscow keep billions flowing into its war machine.
President Emmanuel Macron said French naval forces intercepted an oil tanker near Sicily this week, just days after British forces carried out a similar operation in the English Channel.
The move marks the latest escalation in Western efforts to target the ageing fleet of vessels Russia has increasingly relied upon to export oil while sidestepping sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.
We will not let the shadow fleet evade sanctions and finance the Russian war effort,” Macron declared as he released footage showing marines descending from helicopters onto the vessel.
French authorities say they have now intercepted at least five tankers linked to Russia’s shadow fleet. The vessels are typically older ships operating through complex ownership structures and opaque insurance arrangements designed to obscure their links to Moscow.
The latest operation comes amid growing concern across Europe that revenues generated through these shipments continue to provide a crucial financial lifeline for Russian President Vladimir Putin as the war in Ukraine grinds on.
La Marine Nationale a arraisonné mardi le pétrolier Deliver alors qu’il transitait au large de la Sicile en infraction avec le droit de la mer.
Cette nouvelle action contre la flotte fantôme, conduite quelques jours après une opération similaire par le Royaume-Uni… pic.twitter.com/5Gjn43MhLr
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 25, 2026
European governments have increasingly turned their attention towards disrupting Russia’s maritime supply chains after sanctions failed to fully choke off energy exports.
The coordinated actions by Britain and France also send a wider political message that major European powers remain committed to tightening pressure on Moscow despite growing economic and geopolitical tensions elsewhere.
Moscow has condemned the seizures and inspections as unlawful, arguing Western nations are exceeding their authority in international waters.
But with Europe determined to cut off funding streams for Russia’s war effort, the shadow fleet is rapidly becoming one of the most contested battlegrounds in the wider economic conflict between Moscow and the West.
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