France and allies intercept suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker, Macron says

[littlemissmartypants]

Source: EURO NEWS

France and its allies detained a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in the Atlantic over the weekend, President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.

The Tagor was detained on Sunday morning in international waters with the help of the United Kingdom and other partners, he said in a social media post.

"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 four years," he said.

Since September, France has boarded three other ships believed to belong to Russia's so-called shadow fleet.

Read more: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/01/france-and-allies-intercept-suspected-russian-shadow-fleet-tanker-macron-says

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Russia has reportedly built up a flotilla of old oil tankers of opaque ownership to get around sanctions imposed by the European Union over Moscow's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

By Gavin Blackburn & Serge Duchêne
Published on 01/06/2026 - 8:44 GMT+2

[not fooled]

1. So...the ships are boarded, then...?

I couldn't figure out from the article what happens next.

Do the good guys take over the vessel?

[ancianita]

2. Then the good guys, this time the French navy, take over the vessel.

Any sanctioned ship, when boarded by naval or coast guard forces, is diverted to a port for investigation, and may face impoundment, massive fines, or legal prosecution of its crew.

Authorities launch formal investigations into violations, such as operating under false flags, lacking valid registration, or failing to meet maritime sea-worthiness regulations.

Particularly in Europe, vessels are released to their owners only after paying significant financial penalties or fines for circumventing international restrictions.

The vessel's captain or operating company may face direct criminal prosecution for conspiracy, fraud, or violating specific embargoes.