France and its allies have detained a Russia-linked oil tanker in the Atlantic over the weekend, escalating efforts to dismantle Moscow's shadow fleet used to evade Western sanctions. The Kremlin condemned the seizure as akin to "international piracy."
Details of the Seizure
France announced on Monday that it had detained the oil tanker Tagor in international waters on Sunday morning, with assistance from Britain and other partners. The operation occurred after the Russian captain refused to comply with orders, according to prosecutors. President Emmanuel Macron shared a video of the seizure showing commandos rappelling from a helicopter onto the ship.
"We consider these acts illegal. They border on international piracy," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. "Russia is taking measures to ensure the safety of its cargo."
Links to Iranian Magnate
The Tagor is suspected of carrying Russian or Iranian oil despite international sanctions and is linked to petroleum shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, according to open-source database Opensanctions.org. Shamkhani is the son of security official Ali Shamkhani, who advised former Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Both were killed on February 28, the first day of the US-Israeli attacks that started the Middle East war.
French authorities stated the Tagor was en route from Murmansk in northwestern Russia to Limbe, Cameroon, while falsely flying a Cameroonian flag. Shadow fleet vessels frequently change flags or use invalid registrations to evade tracking.
"It is unacceptable for ships to circumvent international sanctions, violate the law of the sea, and fund the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than four years," Macron said on X.
International Response
The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that a British helicopter provided tracking and monitoring support during the operation. "We are stepping up our response to shadow vessels to choke off the funds that fuel Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine," a ministry spokesperson said.
The Atlantic maritime prefecture said the interception occurred over 400 nautical miles west of Brittany. Examination of documents confirmed doubts about the irregularity of the flag. The ship, with 23 crew members, is being escorted by the French navy to an anchorage point for further checks.
Officials declined to comment on the tanker's ties to Shamkhani. The Russian embassy in France requested information about the crew, stating no notifications had been provided by the French side.
Legal and Historical Context
The Tagor is under EU and US sanctions and has previously flown flags of Madagascar, the Marshall Islands, and Panama. Prosecutors said taking control of the vessel proved necessary. A criminal investigation has been opened for failure to prove nationality, absence of a flag, and refusal to comply.
Since September, France has boarded three other shadow fleet ships, which were allowed to sail after their owners paid fines. In April, France announced doubled penalties for ships failing to fly a flag or refusing to comply.
Nearly 600 ships suspected of belonging to Russia's shadow fleet are subject to EU sanctions. This latest seizure underscores Western determination to disrupt Russian efforts to bypass sanctions and fund its war in Ukraine.
