00:01France's Navy intercepted a Russian oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday
00:06in a mission targeting the Kremlin's sanctioned Shadow Fleet.
00:10Maritime authorities say the vessel, named the Grinch, is suspected of operating with a false flag.
00:16The French Navy said in a statement that they're escorting the ship to port
00:19to conduct more checks and conclusively identify the vessel.
00:23French President Emmanuel Macron, in a post on X, said his country is
00:28determined to uphold international law and to effectively ensure the enforcement of sanctions.
00:34The move comes just hours after Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky slammed Europe
00:39for its inaction in his address to the World Economic Forum in Davos.
00:43The Ukrainian leader namely used the U.S. seizing of Russian tankers as an example Europe should follow
00:49to further cripple Russia economically and end the war.
00:52Macron said the seizure was important as the vessel, suspected of belonging in the Shadow Fleet,
00:59quote, contributes to financing the war of aggression against Ukraine.
01:04The mission was conducted in tandem with the U.K.,
01:07which gathered and shared intelligence with Paris to facilitate the ship's interception.
01:12French military officials say the ship was flying a Comoros Islands flag, and its crew is Indian.
01:17Amen.
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