France Fines a Russia-Linked Shadow Fleet Tanker for Flying a False Flag

Authorities in France have released the shadow fleet tanker Deyna, which was captured last month and diverted to Marseilles on suspicion of operating without a legitimate flag.

French Navy personnel boarded the ship on March 20 for a flag verification. They diverted it to the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer for an investigation, which resulted in charges of lack of a flag.

In a plea filed Wednesday at the Marseilles Judicial Court, the owner of the ship agreed to pay a fine to settle the matter; the vessel had claimed to be registered in Mozambique, but the owner admitted that no proof of nationality had been provided to investigators.

Deyna swiftly left port after the fine was paid, and as of Thursday it was under way once more in the Mediterranean, headed for China.

The Deyna was the third Russia-linked tanker detained by French forces since last fall. Previous captures include the Boracay, suspected of serving as a covert drone launch platform, and the Grinch, which was also boarded and fined.

When Deyna was boarded in March, French President Emmanuel Macron linked the ship to Russian energy exports and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

"These vessels, which evade international sanctions and violate the law of the sea, are profiteers of war. They line their pockets while helping finance Russia’s war effort. We will not allow it," he said at the time.