PARIS, March 20. /TASS/. French authorities have detained the Mozambique-flagged tanker Denya, which was sailing from Murmansk, the Mediterranean maritime prefecture said.
"On March 20, 2026, the French Navy conducted an offshore operation in the western part of the Mediterranean, against the Denya oil tanker, which was sailing from Murmansk under the flag of Mozambique," it said on X.
According to it, the operation was conducted jointly with France’s allies, including the United Kingdom, which took part in tracking the ship, in conformity with Article 110 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and was aimed at checking the national affiliation of the vessel, suspected of using a false flag. "The documents check confirmed doubts in the legality of the flag. A relevant notification was referred to the Marseille prosecutor’s office," it said, adding that the ship is being escorted by the French Navy to the anchorage for further checks.
French President Emmanuel Macron said earlier that a tanker of the so-called Russian shadow fleet had been detained.