France releases suspected Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker after fine paid

France released the oil tanker "Grinch," suspected of being part of Russia's "shadow fleet" used to evade oil sanctions, after its owner paid a fine of several million euros. The tanker, which had sailed from Murmansk, Russia, and was flying under a Comoros flag, was seized in the Mediterranean Sea in January and diverted to Marseille. French authorities stated the fine was levied as part of a guilty plea procedure for circumventing European sanctions. The "shadow fleet" is a network of aged tankers with obscured ownership used by Russia to continue exporting oil despite Western sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine. The French Foreign Minister stated that circumventing sanctions comes at a price and Russia will no longer be able to finance its war with impunity.

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