French naval forces have boarded and detained the oil tanker Grinch (IMO 9288851) in the Mediterranean Sea over suspicions it was operating under a false flag while carrying Russian-origin oil, French President Emmanuel Macron said.

Macron stated that the operation was conducted with support from several allied nations and in full compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. A judicial investigation has been opened and the vessel has been redirected to port for further inspection.

Maritime records show the tanker, built in 2004, is owned and commercially managed by Cube Ventures Shipping SA, a Marshall Islands–registered company. The ship has been listed by sanctions monitors as part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” used to bypass international oil sanctions. No major oil trading firm is publicly identified

as the

Oil Tanker Profile: GRINCH

Name: Grinch IMO: 9288851 Type: Crude oil tanker Year built: 2004 Deadweight: ~105,000–110,000 DWT (Aframax class) Owner / Commercial Manager: Cube Ventures Shipping SA Registered address: Marshall Islands Flag history: Multiple changes reported (incl. Comoros, Barbados – varies by period)

Sanctions & Operations

Listed by sanctions-monitoring bodies as part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” Suspected of transporting Russian-origin crude oil using: Flag switching Opaque ownership structures Non-transparent chartering arrangements

Trader / Charterer

No major international oil trader publicly disclosed Cargoes believed to be arranged via intermediaries or shell trading entities, a common practice within the shadow fleet No confirmed links to companies like Vitol, Trafigura, Glencore, etc.

Current status (as reported)

Boarded by French Navy in the Mediterranean Suspected of sailing under a false flag Redirected to port; judicial investigation opened

vessel’s charterer.

The announcement came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Europe at the World Economic Forum in Davos for weak sanctions enforcement, contrasting it with recent U.S. seizures of sanctioned oil tankers.

Earlier this month, U.S. authorities seized the Russian-registered tanker Bella-1 and later detained M/T Sophia, both linked to sanctioned oil shipments.