France intercepts Russian oil tanker near Sicily

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that the French navy had intercepted a Russian oil tanker, identified as the 'Deliver', sailing off the coast of Sicily. Macron stated the vessel was intercepted earlier this week for allegedly violating maritime law and operating as part of Russia's 'shadow fleet' to circumvent Western sanctions. He emphasized that European nations will not permit this fleet to evade sanctions and finance Russia's war effort.

This interception follows a similar operation by the United Kingdom, which recently boarded the Russian shadow fleet tanker 'Smyrtos' in the English Channel. France has previously intercepted at least five tankers suspected of belonging to this 'shadow fleet,' which utilizes older vessels, complex ownership structures, and flags of convenience to bypass international restrictions on Russian energy exports. Russia has condemned such interceptions as illegal.