PARIS, March 1 (Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that the French Navy had assisted Belgian forces in boarding a "sanctioned oil tanker" in the North Sea.
In a post on social media platform X, Macron said that French Navy helicopters supported Belgian forces in the boarding operation on Saturday night. He described the action as "a major blow" to Russia's "shadow fleet."
He added that Europeans are persisting in efforts to cut off the sources of funding for Russia's war effort by strictly enforcing international sanctions.
Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken also said on Sunday on social media that, with the support of French defense forces, Belgian forces had boarded the oil tanker, which is now docked at the port of Zeebrugge and will be seized.
In January, the French Navy boarded an oil tanker from Russia and diverted it. The tanker, known as Grinch, later left French waters on Feb. 17 after a payment of several million euros and three weeks of immobilization.
In response to the seizure and control of similar oil tankers, Moscow has called these sanctions "illegitimate" and against international law. ■