The French navy, in collaboration with UK authorities, intercepted an oil tanker suspected of evading international sanctions in the Atlantic Ocean, according to a statement Sunday.
The operation targeted the Tagor, which was boarded Sunday evening while flying a falsified Cameroonian flag, maritime officials said. Investigators noted the vessel had recently changed flags multiple times, including a prior registration under Madagascar before the interception.
French President Emmanuel Macron denounced the act on social media, stating, “It is unacceptable that vessels circumvent sanctions, violate maritime law, and finance Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine,” adding that such activities also pose environmental and security risks.
Murmansk, Russia—Russia’s key Arctic port—served as the tanker’s departure point, according to officials. The Atlantic maritime prefecture confirmed the seizure occurred approximately 400 nautical miles (740 km) west of Brittany, France, flagging the ship’s cooperation with Russia’s “shadow fleet”—a network accused of bypassing restrictions on oil sales.
Guillaume Le Rasle, a prefecture spokesperson, emphasized the Tagor was already under EU and US sanctions and had been under surveillance for weeks. At the time of boarding, the vessel held minimal oil reserves and was en route to Limbe, Cameroon.
“This ship was tracked meticulously and posed a clear risk to compliance efforts,” Le Rasle stated, as reported by AFP. “Its abrupt course shift to Cameroon underscores deliberate attempts to evade detection.”
Media shared during Macron’s announcement included a video capturing a boarding team rappelling from a helicopter onto the Tagor’s deck, illustrating the intensity of the operation.
France has intensified enforcement against the shadow fleet since 2022, detaining three vessels this year alone. The Boracay (Benin-flagged), Grinch, and Deyna (Mozambican-flagged) were all intercepted and penalized, with legal actions including trials and arrest warrants. In April, France announced harsher penalties for non-compliant ships, including doubled fines for flag violations.
Russia’s state-backed oil trade has become a lifeline for its war economy, with oil revenues funding military operations in Ukraine. The international community has increasingly targeted this network, though President Vladimir Putin has condemned such seizures as acts of piracy.
Russia’s ‘Shadow Fleet’
Paris and Western allies have prioritized dismantling Russia’s maritime evasion tactics. The Tagor’s interception follows a pattern of enforcement actions obstructing illicit oil shipments, underscoring the global resolve to uphold sanctions amid the escalating Ukraine conflict.