Suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker GRINCH allowed to leave France after paying fine

The silhouette of a French navy boat surrounding the GRINCH oil tanker, intercepted by France in the Alboran Sea on suspicion of operating under a false flag and belonging to Russia's shadow fleet that enables Russia to export oil despite sanctions, and diverted to the port of Marseille-Fos, in the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer, near Martigues, France, January 25, 2026. REUTERS/Manon Cruz

MARSEILLE, France, Feb ⁠17 (Reuters) - French authorities have let the ⁠seized oil tanker GRINCH leave territorial ‌waters after the company owning the vessel had to pay a penalty worth "several million euros," French Foreign ​Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on ⁠Tuesday.

"Circumventing European sanctions ⁠comes at a price. Russia will no ⁠longer be ‌able to finance its war with impunity through a ghost ⁠fleet off our coasts," Barrot said in ​a ‌post on X.

The vessel named GRINCH was ⁠seized in ​the Mediterranean on last month, and then diverted to anchor off the French port ⁠city of Marseille, on suspicion ​of being part of the shadow fleet that lets Russia export oil despite sanctions.

The vessel ⁠had left the Russian port of Murmansk in early January, sailing under a Comoros flag, French authorities have said.

The company ​owning the ship was ⁠ordered to pay a penalty for not ​being able to justify its ‌flag, French authorities added ​in a statement.

(Reporting by Marc Leras and Inti Landauro;Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)