Putin dealt major blow as UK helps intercept another oil tanker with WW3 fears soaring

The UK supported the operation (Image: EMMANUEL MACRON/X)

The UK supported the French Navy in intercepting an oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea that traveled from Russia, in a mission targeting the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet, officials said. The move is part of a wider Western crackdown on Vladimir Putin’s sanctioned "shadow fleet", accused of secretly funding Russia's war in Ukraine.

The shadow fleet is seen as a crucial lifeline for Putin, allowing him to bankroll the invasion while protecting Russia’s economy from a currency collapse and limiting the impact of inflation on ordinary citizens. French naval forces, acting on intelligence shared by Britain, stopped the vessel on the high seas amid fears it was attempting to bypass international sanctions. The ship, named 'The Grinch', is suspected of operating under a false flag and has been diverted to port for further checks. Experts believe the shadow fleet now includes more than 400 vessels worldwide, with Western nations seeking new agreements to make it easier to stop and board suspected ships.

"The operation was conducted on the high seas in the Mediterranean, with the support of several of our allies. It was carried out in strict compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea."

The ship was flying under a false flag from the Comoros islands, which are off east Africa, and its crew is Indian, officials said. It was intercepted in the western Mediterranean, off the southern Spanish coastal town of Almeria.

Britain helped the French seize a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in the Mediterranean (Image: @FrenchForces/X)

President Macron added: "We are determined to uphold international law and to ensure the effective enforcement of sanctions. The activities of the 'shadow fleet' contribute to financing the war of aggression against Ukraine."