France and UK seize sanctioned oil tanker Tagor in Atlantic

French naval forces, supported by the United Kingdom, intercepted and seized a sanctioned oil tanker in international waters of the Atlantic Ocean over the weekend, officials announced. The vessel, identified as the Tagor, was boarded on Sunday morning approximately 400 nautical miles west of the tip of Brittany while sailing from Murmansk, Russia.

French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the joint operation in a statement on Monday, calling it a demonstration of steadfast determination to counter sanctions evasion. He stated the action was taken in strict compliance with the law of the sea with support from several partners, including the United Kingdom. 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, Macron wrote. He added that such vessels, which fail to adhere to basic maritime rules, pose a threat to safety and the environment.

According to the French Maritime Prefecture of the Atlantic, the operation targeted a ship suspected of flying a false flag. After inspectors boarded the tanker, an examination of its documents confirmed...