PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that an oil tanker immobilized off the French Atlantic coast had committed “very serious wrongdoings” and linked it to Russia’s shadow fleet, which is avoiding Western sanctions over Moscow’s war in Ukraine. The tanker was sailing last week off the coast of Denmark and was cited by European naval experts as possibly being involved in drone flights over the country. French naval forces forcibly boarded the ship a few days ago at the request of prosecutors who suspected wrongdoing, a military official said Wednesday.

President Emmanuel Macron said the crew had committed "serious offences" but did not directly link the vessel to Russia.

French naval forces board suspicious oil tanker off coast of France, suspected of involvement in Russia's shadow fleet.