"This operation was carried out... with the support of several of our allies. It was conducted in full compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," French President Emmanuel Macron said on the social media platform X.
The interception was carried out on high seas in the Western Mediterranean, between the southern coast of Spain and the northern coast of Morocco, the French maritime police said in a separate statement.
Authorities said the ship, the Grinch, is suspected of operating with a false flag. The French navy is escorting it to an anchorage for more checks, the statement said. The tanker departed from the city of Murmansk in northwestern Russia, it added.
The EU has imposed 19 packages of sanctions against Russia, but Moscow has adapted to most measures and continues to sell millions of barrels of oil to countries such as India and China, typically at discounted prices.
Oil revenue is a key part of Russia's economy, allowing President Vladimir Putin to pour money into the war effort against Ukraine without worsening inflation for everyday people and avoiding a currency collapse.
France and other countries have vowed to crack down on the sanction-busting shadow fleet of oil tankers which experts estimate numbers over 400 ships. They are also trying to secure deals with flag-carrying countries to make it easier to board the vessels.
Russia is using what is described as a "shadow fleet" to evade sanctions over its war on Ukraine. The fleet is a compilation of aging vessels and tankers owned by nontransparent entities with addresses in non-sanctioning countries, and sailing under flags from such countries.
"We are determined to uphold international law and to ensure the effective enforcement of sanctions," Macron said in the post about the interception, with a photo showing a French helicopter hovering over a ship.
"The activities of the 'shadow fleet' contribute to financing the war of aggression against Ukraine," Macron added.
Azvision.az
