UK supported French Navy in boarding Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker
The UK, alongside the EU and the US, has imposed restrictions on more than 600 ships linked to Russia
The French Navy boarded an oil tanker, which was subject to international sanctions and sailing from Russia, President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday.
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The "shadow fleet" is used to carry Russian oil and goods around the world to avoid sanctions put on Vladimir Putin’s country following the invasion of Ukraine.
The UK, alongside the EU and the US, has imposed restrictions on more than 600 ships linked to Russia.
Despite these measures, analysts estimate the fleet still generates up to $100bn (£74bn) a year for Moscow, roughly equivalent to the level of international support received by Ukraine.
"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," Mr Macron 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."
Read more: Putin ‘rubbing his hands’ as LBC uncovers failure to crack down on Russian shadow fleet
Read more: Putin’s shadow fleet could cripple Britain from beneath the North Sea
La Marine nationale a arraisonné hier matin un nouveau pétrolier sous sanctions internationales en provenance de Russie : le Tagor. Notre détermination est constante et totale.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 1, 2026
Cette intervention a été effectuée en Atlantique, en haute mer,… pic.twitter.com/zxEslYjbUE
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 (740 km) 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.
The prefecture did not name the ship.
France and Britain have both vowed to obstruct ships linked to Russia's sanctioned "shadow fleet" that pass through their waters.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced in March that he had granted permission for the UK military to board ships belonging to the "shadow fleet".
However, shipping data shows that dozens of sanctioned ships linked to Russia continue to cross UK waters.