Footage shows French forces seizing suspected Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker

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Seizure footage shows French forces boarding and taking control of the tanker Grinch off the coast of Spain, during a maritime interception operation on Thursday Jan 22, 2026. The video shows armed personnel securing the vessel as part of what officials described as an action against a so-called “shadow tanker”, a term used for ships suspected of operating outside international sanctions or regulatory frameworks. French authorities have not released detailed information about the tanker’s cargo, ownership, or final destination, nor have they said under which legal authority the seizure was carried out. The exact date the footage was recorded could not be independently verified, though it was reported to have taken place yesterday. Investigations into the vessel and its activities are ongoing. Moscow's so-called shadow fleet is a clandestine network of tankers used to evade Western sanctions on Russian oil exports by shipping the oil on aged tankers with obscure ownership or insurance. The Grinch was travelling from the Arctic port of Murmansk in northern Russia when it was intercepted, French authorities said. The vessel had been flying a Comoros flag, according to ship tracking websites marinetraffic and vesselfinder.