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Russia is demanding that France merchandise the skipper of a tanker detained successful France connected what it says are mendacious charges, the Russian embassy successful Paris said connected Wednesday (June 3, 2026).
France’s Navy said connected Monday (June 1, 2026) it had intercepted a sanctioned tanker, the Tagor, linked to the Russian lipid commercialized in the Atlantic Ocean. Paris ordered it to caput to the French mainland, successful a determination Moscow said was amerciable and amounted to “international piracy.”
The Russian Embassy said that French authorities had informed Moscow that the vessel’s captain, a Russian national, had been detained connected what it described arsenic “trumped-up” charges.
“The Embassy has once again contacted the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, demanding contiguous consular entree to the Russian national and his punctual release,” the embassy said successful a statement.
Russia has relied connected aged vessels, known successful the West arsenic the “shadow fleet”, to vessel its lipid and state successful the look of Western sanctions.
France and Britain person vowed to obstruct specified vessels arsenic portion of a European strategy to trim Russia’s ability to money its warfare successful Ukraine.
Russia rejects the “shadow fleet” label, says its lipid shipments are legitimate, and has condemned Western attempts to intercept tankers arsenic amerciable and akin to piracy, warning it reserves the close to instrumentality steps to support its ain shipping.
