Overview
- French naval commandos boarded the Grinch by helicopter on January 22 in the western Mediterranean between Spain and Morocco, releasing images of the operation.
- Britain supported the interception with intelligence, tracking and monitoring, including HMS Dagger shadowing the vessel through the Strait of Gibraltar, officials said.
- The tanker departed Murmansk carrying Russian oil and was sailing under a Comoros flag that authorities say appears irregular based on documents found on board.
- The vessel is under escort toward Marseille-Fos for checks and is expected to arrive on Saturday morning, according to sources close to the case.
- The action forms part of an expanded allied clampdown on Russia’s sanctions-busting fleet, drawing praise from Ukraine and following earlier French and recent U.S. interdictions under UNCLOS provisions for stateless or falsely flagged ships.