Suddenly! The French Navy has also inspected a Russian oil tanker! On January 22, French President Macron posted that we will not let anything go. This morning, the French Navy boarded an oil tanker from Russia, which is under international sanctions and suspected of flying a false flag. This operation was carried out in the international waters of the Mediterranean with the assistance of several of our allies. It strictly complies with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Criminal investigations have already begun. The ship has been diverted. We are committed to upholding international law and ensuring the effectiveness of sanctions. The activities of the ghost fleet help fund the invasion of Ukraine. Obviously, after the United States continued to seize Russian oil tankers in the North Atlantic, it was unexpected that France would also take action against Russian oil tankers. Upon learning of the successful inspection by the French Navy of the Russian oil tanker, President Macron of France was very excited and immediately announced the relevant information.
According to on-site photos, the French Navy used the NH90 NFH "Sea Lion" naval multi-purpose helicopter to carry out the inspection and seizure of the Russian oil tanker. This helicopter is a 10-ton medium helicopter jointly developed by several European countries. The French Navy mainly uses it for anti-submarine warfare, anti-ship operations, maritime search and rescue, and transportation tasks. Of course, it sometimes also cooperates with warships to carry out maritime boarding inspections.
As of now, Western countries have at least 7 Russian oil tankers seized. The scale of the Russian "shadow fleet" is about 600–1400 ships. By frequently changing flags and ship names, they avoid sanctions. In fact, the number of ships actually seized is far lower than the 342 ships on the sanctions list. The proportion of Western countries' seizures is not high. Of course, for Russia, the pressure from Western countries is increasing, and Russia may have to find ways to ensure the safety of its oil tankers.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1855027733776523/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.