On March 20, the French Navy conducted an operation in the western Mediterranean Sea, blocking the oil tanker Deyna flying the Mozambique flag, departing from Murmansk, Russia.
According to the announcement of the regional maritime authority, the operation was carried out in coordination with allies, including the UK, to verify the nationality of the ship suspected of using "fake flags".
French President Emmanuel Macron later confirmed the incident and said that Deyna was part of Russia's so-called "dark fleet" - a Western term used to refer to oil tankers suspected of evading sanctions.
After being blocked, the Deyna ship was escorted to the Fos Bay area, off the southern French coast, which is believed to have anchored on March 23.
French authorities said the ship will be detained here to serve a preliminary investigation related to violations of ship registration regulations. The area around the anchorage point is also subject to maritime and aviation restrictions until the end of March 27.
Notably, according to confirmation from the Russian Embassy, there are no Russian citizens in the crew of the Deyna ship. This information partly complicates the French side's accusations of direct contact with Russia.
Reacting to the incident, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment in detail. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a tough statement, criticizing the West for "unacceptable" actions at sea.
According to Moscow, Western countries are arbitrarily blocking and escorting "unwanted" ships back to their ports, accusing them of violating sanctions that Russia considers unfounded internationally.
Russia emphasizes that such actions go against the spirit of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea - a convention governing global freedom of navigation.
The Russian Foreign Ministry also called for respect for international law at sea.
The incident occurred amid rising energy and geopolitical tensions, as oil shipping lines such as the Strait of Hormuz are increasingly being closely monitored. Movements such as blocking the Deyna could increase the risk of confrontation at sea, especially as the parties involved continue to have different interpretations of international law and sanctions.
