The French navy has detained a suspected Russian oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean, with support from the United Kingdom and other partners, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday. The vessel, identified as the Tagor, was intercepted in international waters more than 400 nautical miles west of Brittany while en route from Murmansk in northwest Russia.
Macron posted a video of the operation on X, showing commandos descending from a helicopter onto the ship. He stated that the vessel was subject to international sanctions and that its seizure was necessary to prevent the circumvention of sanctions and the financing of Russia's war in Ukraine. The Kremlin condemned the action as illegal, with spokesperson Dmitry Peskov calling it a form of piracy.
French authorities reported that the Tagor was falsely flying a Cameroonian flag and was heading towards Limbe, Cameroon. An inspection team boarded the vessel and confirmed the irregularity of the flag. The ship, carrying 23 crew members, was escorted to an anchorage point for further checks. The tanker was under EU and US sanctions and was nearly empty at the time of boarding.
Russia's embassy in Paris has requested information about any Russian citizens on board, as the captain is believed to be Russian. This seizure is part of a broader effort by France and the UK to disrupt Russia's shadow fleet, which uses flag-hopping and false registrations to evade sanctions. Since September, France has boarded three other shadow fleet vessels, with fines imposed on their owners.
