France Seizes Russian Sanctioned Oil Tanker Tagor in Atlantic, UK Provides Support
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday that the French Navy had intercepted a Russian-flagged oil tanker, the Tagor, approximately 400 nautical miles west of Brittany in the Atlantic. Macron confirmed the operation received support from allies, including the United Kingdom.
Maritime authorities stated the Tagor was flying a false flag when it was detained. Macron condemned the circumvention of international sanctions, stating it was 'unacceptable for ships to circumvent international sanctions, violate the law of the sea, and fund the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than four years'.
The Kremlin responded, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov describing the seizure as 'illegal' and 'bordering on international piracy'. Moscow asserted it was taking measures to ensure the safety of its cargo. Russia has increasingly relied on a 'shadow fleet' of tankers with opaque ownership structures to circumvent Western sanctions on its oil exports, enacted following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This marks the fourth such vessel France has boarded since September 2025.
Macron emphasised the operation adhered 'in strict compliance with the law of the sea', adding that such vessels 'fail to adhere to the most basic rules of maritime navigation' and 'pose a threat to the environment and to everyone's safety'. Previously, French authorities had typically levied fines against owners of these ships, allowing them to proceed, but have now vowed to block them.
In the UK, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in March his government had granted permission for the British military to intercept sanctioned Russian vessels. However, analysis indicates nearly 200 Russian 'shadow fleet' ships had entered UK waters as of 11 May since Starmer's mid-March directive. The Ministry of Defence maintained it was 'disrupting and deterring' these vessels, without providing specific details on actions taken.
