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French Navy Blocks Ship from 'Shadow Fleet' – Macron's Message to Moscow

Published March 20, 2026, 12:11
French Navy Blocks Ship from 'Shadow Fleet' – Macron's Message to Moscow

The French Navy inspected a tanker, the “DEYNA”, in the western Mediterranean, as there were suspicions that it was flying a false flag of Mozambique and belonged to the so-called 'shadow fleet' circumventing international sanctions. The operation was based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and aimed to determine the ship's true nationality. The ship was diverted from its course and is being escorted to an anchorage for further inspection, in cooperation with the United Kingdom. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the seizure of the ship and stressed that France will not allow “profiteers of war” to violate international law and finance the Russian war effort, despite the war in Iran, while maintaining its support for Ukraine.