Seized sanctioned vessel fined and released by France

20 April 2026

The MV Denya, an EU-sanctioned vessel seized by France, has been released by authorities after it admitted it had no evidence to support its flag status and paid an undisclosed fine.

The Denya was seized by France off the Algerian coast in March 2026 where it was sailing from Russia to Egypt. It was designated by the EU for being part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ – vessels used to transport oil circumventing sanctions on Russia – in May 2025. It claimed to be registered under the flag of Mozambique when it was seized but had no evidence to support this claim.

Mark Handley’s European Sanctions Enforcement blog has kept track of all vessels seized by EU member states.