ALBAWABA - France and its allies seized a sanctioned Russian oil tanker, called Tagor, in the Atlantic over the weekend, French Leader Emmanuel Macron announced June 1st.
The Tagor was held on Sunday morning in international waters with the help of Britain and other partners, according to Macron.
He added 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 4 years."
Many other suspected "shadow fleet" tankers were seized by France lately for violating sanctions imposed on Moscow and attempting to transport Russian oil.
A video was released on social media showing French troops taking control of the oil tanker Tagor in the Atlantic Ocean.
On the other hand, the Kremlin decried on Monday the seizure of the oil tanker in the Atlantic by France and other navies as "illegal", comparing the move to "piracy" after Paris said the vessel was violating sanctions.
"We consider these acts as illegal, they border on international piracy," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to the incident.
He added, "Russia is taking measures to ensure the safety of its cargo."
Sanctions were imposed on Russia following its military operation against Ukraine in February 2022.
