PARIS, June 25 (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday that his country’s navy had intercepted an oil tanker as it transited near the coast of Sicily, in what he called his country’s latest action against the ‘shadow fleet’ Russia uses to ship oil and gas and to skirt Western sanctions.
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“This new action against the shadow fleet, conducted days after a similar operation by Britain, shows Europeans’ determination,” Macron said in a post on Instagram, adding that the interception took place on Tuesday.
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“We will not let the shadow fleet evade sanctions and finance the Russian war effort,” Macron said.
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Macron posted a video showing Marines descending from helicopters onto the Deliver.
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France has intercepted at least five tankers it says are part of Russia’s shadow fleet, old vessels that Russia has relied on to ship oil and gas and to skirt Western sanctions.
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Moscow has called such actions illegal.
Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Alexandra Hudson.
