France’s Macron says French Navy boarded Russia-linked oil tanker
PARIS, June 1 (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron wrote in his letter to X that on Sunday the French Navy boarded an oil tanker named Tagor, which was subject to international sanctions and set out from Russia.
“This operation was carried out offshore in the Atlantic Ocean, in full compliance with the law of the sea, with the support of many partners, including the United Kingdom,” he said.
“It is unacceptable that the ships are circumventing international sanctions, violating maritime law and financing Russia’s war against Ukraine for more than four years,” he added.
The French Navy intercepted an oil tanker coming from Murmansk, Russia, 400 nautical miles (740 km) west of the tip of Brittany, the Atlantic Maritime Zone said in a separate statement on Monday.
“The purpose of this operation was to check the nationality of a ship suspected of flying a false flag. After the inspection team boarded the ship, an examination of the documents confirmed the suspicions of the irregularity of the flag flying. In accordance with international law and at the request of the prosecutor, the ship was diverted.”
The governorship did not name the ship.
France and Britain have vowed to prevent ships from Russia’s sanctioned “shadow fleet” from passing through their waters. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in March that he allowed the British army to board ships belonging to the “shadow fleet”.
But shipping data shows dozens of sanctioned ships bound for Russia continue to cross UK waters.
(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon, Jean Terzian; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
