French Navy Intercepts Sanctioned Russian Oil Tanker

The French Navy intervened on Sunday to board an oil tanker named the Tagor, which was traveling from Russia despite being under international sanctions. French President Emmanuel Macron announced this operation on X.

“This operation took place in the Atlantic Ocean, on the high seas, with the support of several partners, including the United Kingdom, in strict compliance with the law of the sea,” Macron stated.

The Maritime Prefecture of the Atlantic released a statement indicating that the French Navy inspected the vessel over 400 nautical miles from Brittany, France. The tanker was suspected of displaying a false flag, originating from Murmansk, Russia. The boarding team confirmed this suspicion, leading to the vessel’s diversion under international law and the direction of the public prosecutor.

Although the name of the vessel was not disclosed by the prefecture, Macron expressed firm disapproval of ships circumventing sanctions and violating maritime law, supporting the Russian war effort in Ukraine. Past incidents mirror this action; in January, a similar situation occurred when France intercepted another Russian-origin oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea. This vessel was also suspected of operating under a false flag.

France and the United Kingdom are committed to preventing ships linked to Russia’s sanctioned “shadow fleet” from taking advantage of their maritime territories. These ships illegally transport sanctioned Russian goods bound for black market transactions, benefiting Russian military financing in Ukraine.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in March, authorized U.K. military forces to board ships associated with this fleet. However, shipping records indicate that numerous sanctioned vessels continue to navigate through British waters.