France and allies intercept suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker, Macron says
Russia has reportedly built up a flotilla of old oil tankers of opaque ownership to get around sanctions imposed by the European Union over Moscow's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
France and its allies detained a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in the Atlantic over the weekend, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.
The Tagor was detained on Sunday morning in international waters with the help of the United Kingdom and other partners, he said in a social media post.
"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," he said.
Since September, France has boarded three other ships believed to belong to Russia's so-called shadow fleet.
In October last year, French forces seized the Benin-flagged tanker Boracay off the Atlantic coast and Macron later said a probe had been opened to determine whether the vessel had been used as a launchpad for a drone incursion into Denmark's airspace which forced the closure of its airports.
On 1 March this year, French Navy helicopters supporting Belgium’s armed forces boarded the Ethera tanker in the North Sea. That vessel was flying the flag of Guinea.
While on 20 March, the French Navy intercepted and boarded another suspected shadow fleet tanker, the Deyna, in the Mediterranean Sea. According to French maritime authorities, the vessel was suspected of operating under a false flag designation. It was flying the flag of Mozambique.
Russia has reportedly built up a flotilla of old oil tankers of opaque ownership to get around sanctions imposed by the European Union, as well as the United States and the G7 group of nations, over Moscow's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The shadow fleet vessels frequently change the flags they fly, a practice known as flag-hopping, or use invalid registrations in an attempt to escape tracking.
They are often poorly-kept and lack verifiable insurance. Some of the vessels also carry grain stolen from Ukraine.
Russia's use of the vessels has also raised environmental concerns about accidents given their age and uncertain insurance coverage.
Nearly 600 vessels suspected of being part of Russia's shadow fleet are subject to EU sanctions.
France boards fourth Russian oil tanker as crackdown on ‘shadow fleet’ continues
The French Navy has boarded another oil tanker from Russia as Paris steps up its campaign against Moscow’s so-called "shadow fleet" of vessels suspected of evading international sanctions.
Issued on: 01/06/2026 - RFI
President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday that the operation had taken place on Sunday on the high seas in the Atlantic “with the support of several partners, including the United Kingdom”.
According to France’s Atlantic Maritime Prefecture, the interception was carried out more than 400 nautical miles – around 740 kilometres – west of the tip of Brittany.
The vessel, identified as the Tagor, was travelling from Murmansk in northern Russia.
After an inspection team boarded the tanker, an examination of its papers “confirmed suspicions regarding the irregularity of the flag flown”, the authorities said. A report has now been sent to the public prosecutor in Brest, which has jurisdiction under France’s maritime court system.
The vessel is currently being escorted by French Navy assets to an anchorage point for further checks, the Maritime Prefecture added in a statement.
How Russia’s shadow fleet keeps slipping through Europe’s net
Macron condemns sanctions evasion
Macron said the operation reflected France’s firm determination to counter ships accused of helping Russia sidestep sanctions imposed over its war in Ukraine.
“It is unacceptable that ships should circumvent international sanctions, violate the law of the sea and finance the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than four years,” the French president wrote on X, in a post accompanied by footage of the boarding.
He also warned that such vessels pose risks beyond sanctions evasion.
“These vessels, which do not comply with the most basic rules of maritime navigation, also pose a threat to the environment and to everyone’s safety,” Macron said, adding that France’s determination to combat the Russian shadow fleet was “constant and total”.
The term “shadow fleet” is commonly used to describe ageing or obscurely registered tankers suspected of helping Russia continue exporting oil despite Western restrictions. Such vessels often operate under changing flags, opaque ownership structures or questionable documentation, making enforcement at sea more difficult.
Fourth French interception
Sunday’s boarding marks the fourth such operation carried out by France against tankers linked to Russia.
The previous cases involved the Deyna and the Grinch, which were detained in the Mediterranean in March and January 2026 respectively, as well as the Boracay, which was boarded off the coast of Brittany in September 2025 while sailing without a flag.
All three vessels were later allowed to continue their journeys after paying fines.
France has been looking to toughen its response. On 8 April, Paris announced plans to double penalties for offences including sailing without a flag and failing to comply with maritime authorities, according to corroborating sources.
The move is part of a broader effort to close loopholes used by vessels suspected of helping finance Russia’s war effort while also strengthening safety and environmental protections at sea.
(With newswires)
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