French military successfully intercepted an international\nsanctions-targeted oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday, 31 May\nlocal time. The vessel, named Tagor, is believed to be part of Russia\u2019s\nshadow fleet (a network of ships with unclear ownership structures used\nto circumvent sanctions).<\/p>\n
President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the operation received full\nsupport from Britain. According to maritime authorities, armed personnel\nboarded the Tagor approximately 400 nautical miles west of Brittany.\nUpon detention, the vessel was found flying a false flag.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is utterly unacceptable for vessels to circumvent international\nsanctions, violate maritime law, and finance the war Russia has waged\nagainst Ukraine,\u201d Macron stated on social media platform X.<\/p>\n
The British Ministry of Defence confirmed to the BBC that a military\nhelicopter from HMS Somerset was deployed to assist with tracking and\nmonitoring during the French operation. This move is characterised as\ndemonstrating commitment to cutting off funding streams financing\nRussia\u2019s invasion.<\/p>\n
Moscow responded severely to the incident. Kremlin spokesperson\nDmitry Peskov called the unilateral seizure illegal and in violation of\nlaw. \u201cThis illegal seizure borders on international piracy,\u201d Peskov\nstated. He added that Russia is taking necessary measures to ensure the\nsafety of its cargo.<\/p>\n
Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia\nhas operated a shadow fleet comprising tankers with unclear ownership\nstructures. This tactic is employed to evade international sanctions on\ntheir oil exports.<\/p>\n
For France, Tagor represents the fourth shadow fleet vessel to have\nits transit disrupted since September 2025. Previously, French\nauthorities had tended to allow such vessels to continue sailing after\nowners paid fines. However, Paris now pledges to completely block their\nactivities.<\/p>\n
This defence cooperation aligns with British Prime Minister Sir Keir\nStarmer\u2019s March policy authorising military forces to board sanctioned\nRussian vessels. Nevertheless, BBC Verify analysis reveals significant\nchallenges remain, as nearly 200 Russian shadow fleet vessels were\nrecorded entering British waters through mid-May, despite Britain\u2019s\nclaims of continuous efforts to disrupt and deter their movement.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/french-military-aided-by-britain-intercepts-russian-shadow-fleet-oil-tanker-1780365649", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }