The French navy has stopped a tanker suspected of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet in the western Mediterranean. According to President Emmanuel Macron, it is the “Deyna”.
The ship was inspected and directed to an anchorage in the Golfe de Fos near Marseille, where further investigations are underway.
The “Deyna” was built in 2005 and is around 250 m long and 44 m wide. It has a gross tonnage of around 62,477 GT and a carrying capacity of around 111,808 dwt. The ship is already on EU and UK sanctions lists.
According to the French Mediterranean prefecture, it was suspected that the tanker was sailing under a false flag. The “Deyna” came from the Russian port of Murmansk and was flying a Mozambican flag at the time of the operation. The operation was carried out jointly with Great Britain.
Macron explained on “X” that ships of this type were circumventing international sanctions and violating maritime law. They were used to secure revenue from the oil business and thus help finance Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The term “shadow fleet” mainly refers to tankers with which Russia attempts to circumvent Western sanctions in order to continue marketing oil on the global market. Typical features include ownership structures that are difficult to trace, changing registrations and deficits in insurance, certification and transparency. Observers have also long warned of the environmental and safety risks of such units.
