Russia Condemns French Seizure of Oil Tanker as ‘Borderline Piracy’
The vessel, identified as the crude oil tanker Tagor, was boarded by French special forces in the Atlantic Ocean during an operation supported by the United Kingdom and other partners. French authorities released footage of the operation, with President Emmanuel Macron confirming the action on Monday.
Macron stated that the ship was allegedly involved in what he described as the “circumvention of international sanctions” and claimed it presented environmental and maritime safety risks. The sanctions in question are part of a set of unilateral Western measures imposed after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, adopted without United Nations authorization.
In response, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov rejected the French justification and disputed claims that the seizure complied with international law. He warned that Russia would adapt its maritime security posture accordingly, saying it would “draw on this negative experience” when revising the “measures we take to ensure the safety of our shipments.”
Western governments supporting Ukraine have previously alleged that Russia operates a so-called “shadow fleet” to sustain foreign trade and bypass sanctions designed to limit its economic activity.
At the same time, Ukraine has been accused of conducting sabotage operations against vessels linked to Russian ports, including ships associated with third-party logistics routes such as the Caspian Pipeline Consortium.
Reports also indicate that a liquefied natural gas tanker arriving at a Russian Baltic port from Antwerp was recently found to have been fitted with explosive devices. Russian authorities said the discovery prevented what they described as an attempted attack intended to cause a major explosion near the port’s export infrastructure.
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