Britain and France have intercepted a sanctioned Russian oil tanker suspected of flying a false flag in a joint operation in the Atlantic, Emmanuel Macron has said.
The French navy could be seen boarding the ship, named the Tagor, in a video shared by the French president on Monday morning.
He said operation was carried out “with the support of several partners including the United Kingdom” in international waters.
“The French Navy intercepted a new tanker under international sanctions yesterday morning, originating from Russia: the Tagor. Our determination is steadfast and unwavering,” he wrote on X.
“This operation was carried out in the Atlantic, in international waters, with the support of several partners including the United Kingdom, in strict compliance with the law of the sea.
“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 4 years.
“These vessels, which fail to adhere to the most basic rules of maritime navigation, also pose a threat to the environment and to everyone’s safety.”
The Maritime Prefecture of the Atlantic, a French authority, said in a separate statement that the French Navy had intervened on an oil tanker more than 400 nautical miles west of the tip of Brittany.
It said the vessel was coming from Murmansk, Russia and was suspected of flying under a false flag.
"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.
Britain and France have both vowed to obstruct ships linked to Russia’s sanctioned shadow fleet that pass through their waters.
Sir Keir Starmer announced earlier this year that Britain’s commandos would be able to board and halt Moscow’s shadow fleet vessels as they ferried oil to support its war in Ukraine through UK waters.
The government has insisted it is taking a hard line against the shadow tankers after it declassified reports earlier this year that the UK had tracked three Russian submarines which loitered over critical undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic for a month before retreating.
Defence secretary John Healey warned Russian president Vladimir Putin at the time: “We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines, and you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences.”
However shipping data shows that dozens of sanctioned ships linked to Russia continue to cross UK waters, and none have been seized by the British navy so far.
An MOD Spokesperson said: "We can confirm that a helicopter from onboard HMS Somerset provided tracking and monitoring in support of the French operation to board the tanker Tagor.
"Alongside our allies, we are stepping up our response to shadow vessels – to choke off the funds that fuel Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
