French Navy Seizes Russian-Linked Tanker in Mediterranean

French naval forces have boarded and diverted a Russian-linked oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea. President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the operation. "The vessel has been diverted," Macron stated. He added that a French judicial investigation is now open. The action is linked to international sanctions against Russia. While the tanker's name was not released, it is registered to a company suspected of violating European Union sanctions. The ship was intercepted south of France. It was then escorted to the French Mediterranean port of Fos-sur-Mer. This move signals a more aggressive enforcement of EU sanctions on Russian oil. It is a rare instance of a member state physically detaining a large commercial vessel.