Tanker carrying Russian Arctic oil boarded by French marines
The sanctioned vessel had loaded oil in the north Russian port of Murmansk.
Two months after taking action against the Grinch, French special forces have once again boarded a sanctioned tanker carrying Russian Arctic oil.
A video released by the French Navy shows a helicopter approaching the 20-year-old Deyna and lowering marines on board.
📍Méditerranée | La @MarineNationale intervient en haute mer pour contrôler le pavillon d'un pétrolier-cargo en provenance de Mourmansk ⚓
— Armée française - Opérations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) March 20, 2026
🎯 Vérification de la nationalité du navire, soupçonné d'arborer un faux pavillon
➡️ Confirmation des doutes quant à la régularité du… https://t.co/WhGy5lINoh pic.twitter.com/qoWz5xh4M4
“The Navy intervened in international waters to inspect the flag of a tanker coming from Murmansk,” the French Navy reported on 20 March.
The operation was carried out at the request of the country’s public prosecutor and in accordance with international law, according to a press release. The Deyna is now being escorted to an anchorage point for further inspection.
The operation was conducted in strict compliance with Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and in co-operation with British military authorities, the French Navy said on X.
The Dayna loaded oil in Murmansk in late February and subsequently sailed south along the Norwegian coast. According to ship-tracking data, the boarding took place north of the Algerian coast.
According to the shipping information system Equasis, the vessel has changed flag state at least five times since 2020. It is not clear under which flag it is currently sailing. Equasis indicates that it has been sailing under a false Tongan flag since December 1, 2025. However, MarineTraffic and other ship-tracking services list its current flag as Mozambique.
The owner of the tanker is reported to be Hedyna, a Hong Kong-based entity. The company is linked to several other so-called shadow fleet activities. According to Equasis, the identity of the vessel’s ISM manager is unknown.
The Deyna is one of many sanctioned tankers carrying Russian oil from Murmansk. The Barents Observer has recorded at least 85 sanctioned ‘shadow tankers’ sailing along the Norwegian coast to Russia’s Kola Peninsula since October 2025.
Despite opaque ownership structures and growing security concerns, Norwegian authorities have not taken action against any of them.
