France eyes new crackdown on Russia's shadow fleet
Photo: France detains a tanker belonging to Russia's shadow fleet (x.com/EmmanuelMacron)
As part of its efforts to combat Russia’s shadow fleet, France plans to double prison sentences and fines for ships sailing under false flags or ignoring orders to stop, according to France24.
According to a draft amendment to the military planning law, violators would face up to two years in prison and a fine of 300,000 euros.
This would double the current fines, and the penalties would apply to any person exercising control or management over the operation of the vessel.
In addition, potential penalties may be increased to seven years of imprisonment and a fine of 700,000 euros if the lives of persons on board the vessel are endangered.
The French Parliament is now set to vote on this bill by July 14.
Russian shadow fleet vessels detention
On April 3, the Swedish Coast Guard detained the sanctioned tanker Flora 1, which is suspected of an oil spill in the Baltic Sea. The tanker, with 24 people on board, was detained near the city of Ystad.
Earlier, the French Navy detained the oil tanker Deyna, which is linked to Russia’s shadow fleet. The vessel is suspected of attempting to circumvent international sanctions by flying a foreign flag.
In addition, at the end of January, the French military conducted a special operation and detained a shadow fleet tanker in the Mediterranean Sea that was sailing from Russia.
Also in January, the US Coast Guard detained the tanker Olina, which belonged to the shadow fleet and specialized in exporting sanctioned oil from Russia to China, India, and Türkiye while flying a false flag.
