French Navy Seizes Russian Oil Tanker in International Waters

Paris. The French navy has seized a sanctioned oil tanker carrying Russian oil. This is the third such incident in the last few months.

According to French President Emmanuel Macron, the oil tanker named Tagor was seized in the international waters of the Atlantic Ocean with the help of partner nations including Britain.

Macron wrote on social media X, 'The ship was seized in international waters in full compliance with international maritime law.' According to ship monitoring details, the crude oil tanker named Tagor, registered in Madagascar, had departed from Russia's Umba port a few days ago. The European Union, Britain, and the United States have already banned this ship.

Such ships are internationally banned. President Macron has accused them of violating international maritime law and being used to financially support Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.

He said, 'It is unacceptable for ships to be used to circumvent international sanctions, violate maritime law, and provide financial resources to the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than four years.' According to him, such ships, which do not even follow the basic rules of maritime transport, pose a serious risk to the environment and maritime safety.

Meanwhile, Russia has strongly protested France's move. Russian government spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the action illegal and described it as bordering on international piracy.

He said, 'This is an illegal act that borders on international piracy.' He also rejected France's claim that the move was made in accordance with international law, saying, 'We completely disagree with the claim that this action was taken in accordance with international law.'

According to the Russian embassy in France, the captain of the Tagor is believed to be a Russian citizen. The embassy stated that it has contacted French authorities seeking information about potential Russian citizens on board, but has not yet received any response.

France has long called for strong action against Russia's so-called shadow fleet. According to Western nations, Russia uses a network of hundreds of old oil tankers to circumvent international sanctions. Such ships are often accused of using false flags, operating without insurance, or traveling at sea without necessary safety certificates.

In March, the French navy also seized another oil tanker in the Mediterranean, which President Macron described as a Russian shadow ship. At that time, he said that such ships were being used to make profits and provide financial resources to Russia's war effort.

Earlier in January, France stopped another suspicious tanker in the sea area between Spain and Morocco, and in March, Belgium also seized an oil tanker on suspicion of using false flags and documents. France reportedly assisted in that action.