France, Allies Seize Suspected Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker

France and its allies detained a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in the Atlantic over the weekend, President Emmanuel Macron said Monday.

The Tagor was seized Sunday in international waters with assistance from the United Kingdom and other partners, Macron stated in a social media post.

"It is unacceptable for ships to circumvent international sanctions, violate the law of the sea, and fund the war against Ukraine," he said.

Since September, France has now boarded four suspected shadow fleet vessels. This includes the Benin-flagged Boracay last October, the Guinea-flagged Ethera in March, and the Mozambique-flagged Deyna in the Mediterranean.

Russia has reportedly built a flotilla of older oil tankers with opaque ownership to evade Western sanctions imposed after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. These vessels often use flag-hopping and invalid registrations. Nearly 600 such vessels are under EU sanctions.