According to French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin, the ship stopped on Sunday is part of the Russian shadow fleet.Image: X/Macron
France’s navy has stopped and inspected an oil tanker coming from Russia in the Atlantic.
June 1, 2026, 12:42 p.mJune 1, 2026, 12:42 p.m
“It is unacceptable that ships circumvent international sanctions, violate international maritime law and finance the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than four years,” wrote French President Emmanuel Macron on X. According to French Defense Minister Catherine Vautrin, the ship stopped on Sunday is part of the Russian shadow fleet.
The Marine Nationale arrangone here matin a new pétrolier sous international sanctions in provenance de Russie: le Tagor. Our determination is constant and total.
This intervention has an effective effect in Atlantique, in high seas,… pic.twitter.com/zxEslYjbUE
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 1, 2026
Russia criticized the French action. “We consider such actions to be unlawful, they border on international piracy,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.
According to Macron, the operation on the “Tagor” took place in the high seas of the Atlantic. France acted with the support of several partners, including Great Britain. In recent months, France has repeatedly stopped ships that it suspects of belonging to the Russian shadow fleet.
Russia threatens to use warships
Russia is threatening Western states with using warships to protect its merchant fleet. The Kremlin representative responsible for shipping, Nikolai Patrushev, criticized the “pirate-like attacks” on maritime trade by Western states in February. Russia must continue to be able to ship its oil, its grain and its fertilizer to keep the economy going, he said.
In the wake of Moscow’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU has also imposed sanctions on ships in the Russian shadow fleet. For example, Russia’s oil sales, which are important for financing the war of aggression against Ukraine, should be stopped. Sanctions also apply to other areas of Russian shipping.
Patrushev said: “If we do not offer them decisive resistance, the English, French and even the Balts will soon be so bold that they will try to completely block our country’s access to the seas, at least in the Atlantic basin.” He warned about the naval blockades. His conclusion: “We need more ships for long-distance voyages at sea and in the ocean that can operate autonomously for a long time at a considerable distance from their bases.” (sda/dpa)