Just hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a fiery speech demanding tougher action against Russia, France made a dramatic move that sent shockwaves through Moscow. The French Navy intercepted, boarded, and seized a Russian oil tanker linked to the Kremlin’s notorious “shadow fleet” in the Mediterranean — marking the first Western seizure of a tanker carrying Russian Arctic crude.

President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the operation, calling it a direct strike against the financial lifelines funding Russia’s war in Ukraine. The tanker, operating under a flag of convenience and accused of evading US and EU sanctions, was loaded in Russia’s Arctic port just days before its capture.

As pressure mounts on Vladimir Putin, questions are swirling over possible retaliation — including fears that Russia could respond with new military or economic measures. While experts say a direct military clash is unlikely, tensions between NATO and Moscow continue to escalate, raising the stakes in the global confrontation over Ukraine.#FranceSeizesRussianShip #RussianOilTankerSeized #PutinUnderPressure #ShadowFleet #RussiaOilSanctions #FranceVsRussia #NATORussiaTensions #ZelenskySpeech #UkraineWar #MacronRussia #RussianOilEmpire #MediterraneanSeizure #BreakingNews #RussianSanctions #OilWar #PutinRetaliation #OreshnikMissile