Have seized sanctioned Russian tanker: France

SHADOW FLEET | Vessel from Murmansk intercepted with UK aid in Atlantic: Macron; Moscow denounces operation as piracy

Paris: The French Navy, with support from the UK, has intercepted an oil tanker under international sanctions travelling from Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.

On X, Macron said the tanker, Tagor, was boarded on Sunday in the Atlantic. He shared a video showing a person rappelling from a helicopter onto the vessel. He said such ships, which do not follow basic maritime navigation rules, also pose a threat to the environment and security.

French maritime authorities said the tanker was intercepted over 400 nautical miles west of France in international waters while travelling from the Russian port of Murmansk. The vessel was suspected of operating under a false flag and being escort­ed to an anchorage for checks.

The interception is the latest in a series of French operations targeting tankers suspected of links to Russia. France and its allies have stepped up efforts against the so-called “shadow fleet” that Moscow is believed to use to evade sanctions imposed over the Ukraine war.

Oil exports remain a crucial source of revenue for Russia and help finance its military campaign.

Responding to the interception, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia considered such actions illegal. “They border on piracy,” Peskov said, adding, Moscow rejects claims such operations comply with international law.

—AP

It is unacceptable that boats skirt international sanctions, violate the law of the sea and finance the war that Russia has been waging for more than four years against Ukraine.

Emmanuel Macron French President