France detained a Russia-linked oil tanker off the coast of Sicily earlier this week.

Axar.az reports, citing Le Monde, that French President Emmanuel Macron made the remarks on his X account.

"On Tuesday, the French navy boarded the oil tanker Deliver as it was passing off the coast of Sicily in breach of the law of the sea," he said.

The vessel, which was flying the Cameroonian flag and sailing from Primorsk in Russia, was escorted by the French navy to an anchorage for further checks, maritime authorities said.

Macron said the Deliver was linked to Moscow's so-called "shadow fleet," which it uses to circumvent Western sanctions imposed after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The vessels frequently change the flags they fly, a practice known as "flag-hopping," or use invalid registrations in an attempt to escape tracking.

"We will not allow the 'shadow fleet' to circumvent sanctions and finance Russia's war effort," Macron added.