France seizes Russian oil tanker in Atlantic/Moscow reacts harshly

2026-06-01 15:34:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

French President Emmanuel Macron announced in a post on the "X" platform that the French Navy has stopped and seized a Russian oil tanker, which was under European sanctions and suspected of sailing under a false flag.

The operation took place on May 31 in the Atlantic Ocean, in international waters, with the support of several partners, including the United Kingdom, and according to French authorities was carried out in full compliance with international maritime law.

Macron said it was unacceptable for the ships to circumvent international sanctions, violate the law of the sea and finance Russia's war against Ukraine. He also stressed that these vessels pose a serious risk to the environment and maritime safety.

"France's determination to combat the Russian stealth fleet is continuous and total ," the French president said.

On the other hand, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reacted sharply, describing the operation as "illegal" and "bordering on international piracy." He added that Russia is taking measures to ensure the safety of its ships.

According to French authorities, this is the fourth tanker of the so-called Russian "shadow fleet" to be banned by France since September 2025.

The tanker Tagor was stopped more than 400 nautical miles off the coast of Brittany in the Atlantic. The ship had set off from Murmansk and was sailing towards the city of Limbe in Cameroon, flying the flag of that country.

According to the French prosecutor's office, the captain of the ship repeatedly refused to obey orders from the French navy. He claimed to be a Russian citizen. A criminal investigation has been opened against him for failure to certify the ship's nationality, failure to fly the legal flag and disobeying maritime authorities. The ship and its crew are being escorted to a French port for further checks.

The tanker Tagor is subject to sanctions by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom. It has changed its flag several times in recent years, using the flags of Madagascar, the Marshall Islands and Panama.

The ship is suspected of being used to transport Russian and Iranian oil. According to the organization OpenSanctions, it is linked to Iranian businessman Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the son of Ali Shamkhani, a close associate of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The incident is expected to further heighten tensions between France and Russia, as Western countries continue efforts to crack down on networks that help Moscow evade international sanctions. /CNA