The vessel, which was flying the Cameroonian flag and sailing from Russia's Baltic port of Primorsk, was boarded because of doubts over the validity of its flag, the maritime prefecture said.

It comes after the UK announced earlier this month that it had intercepted and boarded the Russian shadow fleet tanker "Smyrtos" in the English Channel. #EuropeNews

France detained a Russia-linked oil tanker off the coast of Sicily earlier this week, President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday.“On Tuesday, the French navy