Russia Calls France's Tanker Seizure 'Illegal,' Bordering on Piracy
"We consider such actions illegal and bordering on international piracy," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists at a press briefing in Moscow.
Peskov flatly rejected assertions that the detention of vessels departing Russian waters was consistent with international legal standards, dismissing the justification outright. Russia, he stressed, was actively implementing a range of protective measures to safeguard its cargo shipments and would continue to do so, "taking into account the negative experience it has had."
France Defends the Operation
Earlier Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed that his country's naval forces had intercepted a sanctioned Russian-linked tanker in the Atlantic, framing the operation as a firm demonstration of France's commitment to sanctions enforcement and maritime legal order.
Macron said the French Navy boarded the vessel — identified as the Tagor — on Sunday morning in open international waters, with operational backing from several allied partners, including the UK, and carried out "in strict compliance with the law of the sea."
The French president made clear that Paris would not waver in its enforcement posture, declaring it "unacceptable that ships 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."
Embassy Demands Answers on Russian Crew
Following the vessel's seizure, the Russian Embassy in France issued a formal statement confirming it had submitted an official request to French authorities seeking clarity on whether any Russian nationals were present among the tanker's crew.
The embassy noted that preliminary information indicated the Tagor's captain is a Russian citizen, while adding that no formal notification regarding measures taken against the vessel had yet been received from French authorities.
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