Asked about whether the tanker could be linked to drones flights, Macron said that “I’m very cautious because our services and our justice are still working ...
I don’t exclude it at all, but I cannot here attribute very clearly and establish a clear link between these two phenomenon.”.
Putin emphasized that “there was no reason whatsoever for seizing the tanker in neutral waters,” adding that “there wasn’t and couldn’t be” any military cargo or drones.
In comments earlier Thursday in Copenhagen, Macron praised the work of the French navy to “identify the presence of a shadow fleet.”.
Macron said “30 to 40%” of Russia’s war effort is “financed through the revenues of the shadow fleet.”.
The shadow fleet is made up of used, aging tankers that were often bought by nontransparent entities with addresses from countries that haven’t sanctioned Russia.
Their role is to help Russia’s oil exporters elude the price cap imposed by Ukraine’s allies. »