Macron Says France Seized Russia-Linked Tanker in Atlantic, Moscow Calls Action Illegal

The French Navy, backed by the United Kingdom, has intercepted and boarded a Russia-linked oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean, in a major enforcement action targeting vessels suspected of helping Moscow evade sanctions over the war in Ukraine.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that naval forces boarded the tanker Tagor on Sunday in international waters more than 400 nautical miles west of Brittany. Video released by the French presidency showed commandos descending by helicopter onto the vessel during the operation.

Macron directly condemned the practice of sanctions evasion, stating: “It is unacceptable that boats skirt international sanctions , violate the law of the sea and finance the war that Russia has been waging for more than four years against Ukraine.” He added that such vessels “that don’t respect the most elementary rules of maritime navigation are also a threat to the environment and everyone’s security.”

French authorities said the tanker had departed from Murmansk in northern Russia and was suspected of sailing under a false flag . Inspectors reportedly found irregularities in its registration documents , prompting further legal and administrative checks. The vessel is now under escort by the French Navy toward an anchorage off northwestern France. Reports indicate there were 23 crew members onboard.

Russia confirmed the interception but strongly rejected its legitimacy. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the action illegal and said Moscow would respond to protect its maritime interests , while disputing claims that the tanker was part of sanctions evasion operations.

The operation is part of a wider European crackdown on Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” , a network of ageing tankers with opaque ownership and registration used to sustain oil exports despite sanctions. France said the Tagor is the fourth Russia-linked shadow-fleet tanker intercepted by its authorities since late 2025, following earlier actions against vessels including the Deyna and Grinch .

The incident underscores growing tensions between Russia and Western powers as enforcement of maritime sanctions intensifies alongside the ongoing war in Ukraine.