Moment French forces backed by UK board suspected Russian oil ‘shadow fleet’ tanker in Atlantic
A suspected Russian oil tanker was detained in the Atlantic over the weekend, France said on Monday, in the latest seizure aimed at combating Moscow’s sanctions-busting ‘shadow fleet’.
President Emmanuel Macron said Tagor was arrested in international waters on Sunday morning with the help of Britain and other partners.
According to French officials, the tanker was en route from Murmansk in northwestern Russia when it was seized.
A spokesman for the maritime province said the ship was mistakenly flying a Cameroonian flag and was heading towards Limbe, a coastal city in the west of the African country.
“It is unacceptable that the ships circumvent international sanctions, violate maritime law and finance Russia’s war against Ukraine for more than 4 years,” Macron said.
He posted a video he said was related to the seizure, showing commandos rappelling from a helicopter to the ship, adding, “These ships, which do not comply with the most basic rules of maritime navigation, also pose a threat to the environment and the safety of everyone.”
He added: ‘This operation was carried out in the Atlantic, in international waters, with the support of many partners, including the UK.’
The Atlantic Maritime Administration said the interception occurred 400 nautical miles west of Brittany.
Tagor was detained in international waters on Sunday morning with the help of the UK and other partners.
According to French officials, the tanker was en route from Murmansk in northwestern Russia when it was seized.
Emmanuel Macron said Britain helped France land at Tagor
“Examination of the documents confirmed the suspicions regarding the irregularity of the flag flying,” the governor’s office said.
The Maritime Prefecture said the ship, with a crew of 23, was ‘escorted to an anchorage point by the French navy for further checks’.
Atlantic Maritime Region Spokesperson Guillaume Le Rasle said that the tanker was under EU and US sanctions.
‘This is a known and followed ship,’ he said.
‘The decision to direct was taken on Sunday evening,’ he added. ‘The purpose of the redirect is to verify the validity of the flag.’
He added that the tanker, which changed flags frequently, was ‘almost empty’ during boarding.
According to tracker MarineTraffic, Tagor was sailing off the coast of Norway and flying the Madagascar flag when it last transmitted an automatic identification system (AIS) signal a week ago.
‘Shadow fleet’ ships frequently change the flags they fly or use invalid registrations to evade pursuit, a practice known as flag hopping.
Since September, France has boarded three more ships believed to belong to Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’. The ships were allowed to sail after their owners paid the fine.
In September, the French navy boarded the Boracay ship, which was claimed to be under the Benin flag. The Chinese captain was tried in absentia, and in March a French court issued an arrest warrant for him and he was sentenced to one year in prison.
In January, French forces seized another suspected Russian tanker, the Grinch, and in March, the Deyna, which sailed from Murmansk under the Mozambican flag, was detained in Marseille.
In April, France announced a plan to double penalties for ships that fail to fly a flag or refuse to comply.
Many Western countries have imposed sanctions on hundreds of ships in Russia’s “shadow fleet” due to its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Approximately 600 ships suspected of being part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ are subject to European Union sanctions.
Russian leader Vladimir Putin condemned the detention of Russian-linked ships as ‘piracy’.
The Daily Mail has contacted the UK Ministry of Defense for comment.
