French Navy seizes Russia-linked oil tanker in high seas, Macron says

War in UkraineFrench Navy seizes Russia-linked oil tanker in high seas, Macron says“It is unacceptable for ships to 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,” Macron said. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00In this photo, provided by the French Army on Jan. 22, France's Navy intercepted an oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea that traveled from Russia in a mission targeting the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet.Etat-Major des Armees via APShareAdd NBC News to GoogleJune 1, 2026, 3:56 AM EDTBy ReutersThe French Navy on Sunday boarded an oil tanker, named the Tagor, which was subject to international sanctions and sailing from Russia, French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.“This operation took place in the Atlantic Ocean, on the high seas, with the support of several partners, including the United Kingdom, in strict compliance with the law of the sea,” he said.“It is unacceptable for ships to 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,” he added.The Maritime Prefecture of the Atlantic said in a separate statement on Monday that the French Navy had intervened on an oil tanker more than 400 nautical miles west of the tip of Brittany, coming from Murmansk, Russia.“This operation was aimed at checking the nationality of a vessel suspected of flying a false flag. After the inspection team boarded the vessel, an examination of the documents confirmed suspicions regarding the irregularity of the flag flown. In accordance with international law and at the request of the public prosecutor, the vessel was diverted,” it added.Add NBC News to GoogleRussian drone intended for Ukraine injures two people in Romania00:46The prefecture did not n...