French naval forces boarded the crude tanker DELIVER (IMO 9194983) off Sicily on June 23, detaining the vessel as it transited from Russia’s Baltic oil export terminal at Primorsk on suspicion of navigating without valid nationality.
Cameroon had formally removed the DELIVER from its flag registry weeks before the interception, according to a Western military source, leaving the tanker legally stateless. France conducted the boarding under Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which authorizes warships to board and inspect vessels on the high seas when suspected of having no nationality.
The Marseille public prosecutor assumed jurisdiction, and the vessel was diverted under French naval escort to an anchorage for further inspection and legal proceedings.
“This new action against the shadow fleet, conducted just days after a similar operation by the United Kingdom, illustrates the determination of the Europeans,” French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X. “We will not let the shadow fleet circumvent sanctions and finance Russia’s war effort.”
La Marine Nationale a arraisonné mardi le pétrolier Deliver alors qu’il transitait au large de la Sicile en infraction avec le droit de la mer.
Cette nouvelle action contre la flotte fantôme, conduite quelques jours après une opération similaire par le Royaume-Uni… pic.twitter.com/5Gjn43MhLr
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 25, 2026
The vessel’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal went offline at 06:36 UTC on June 23, coinciding with the boarding, according to AIS tracking data.
The DELIVER is a 150,284-deadweight-ton crude tanker built in 2000, sanctioned by the European Union in February 2025 for involvement in Russian crude exports and listed by the United Kingdom in May 2025. The ship had previously falsely claimed Mozambican registration before switching to a Cameroonian flag in January 2026 and has been out of class since 2025.
The boarding was assisted by the Royal Navy and European Union Naval Force Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED) Operation IRINI. The DELIVER marks France’s fourth shadow fleet seizure of 2026, following the Deyna, Grinch, and Tagor, bringing the European total to nine since January, a Western military source said.
