France seized an oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, suspecting its involvement in Russia's "shadow fleet," which helps Russia circumvent sanctions.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the tanker, named Grinch, "is subject to international sanctions and is suspected of flying a false flag."

The French navy, with the help of allies, boarded the vessel on Thursday morning between Spain and Morocco. French maritime authorities stated that the search of the vessel "confirmed doubts about the correctness of the flag."

Russia's so-called shadow fleet is a secret network of tankers used to evade Western sanctions on the export of Russian oil.