French soldiers swing from helicopters to catch oil tankers

“The French Navy on the morning of May 31 blocked Tagor, an oil tanker that is subject to international sanctions and originates from Russia,” French President Emmanuel Macron announced on X on June 1. “This operation is completely legal, taking place in international waters in the Atlantic Ocean with the support of many partners, including the UK.”

The French Navy released a video showing the NH90 Caiman helicopter approaching the Tagor ship moving at sea. Soldiers then rappelled from the helicopter to the deck and took control of the vehicle.

France’s Atlantic Maritime Agency said Tagor departed from the northwestern Russian port of Murmansk. The ship was suspected of illegally flying the Cameroonian flag and was heading to the coastal city of Limbe, in the west of the African country. According to the maritime tracking platform MarineTrafficthe Tagor ship is 252 m long, registered under the flag of Madagascar.

“The document inspection process showed that the ship’s registration was invalid,” the French agency announced. The ship has 23 sailors and is being anchored by the French navy in the northwestern waters of the country.

The Russian Embassy in France has asked Paris to provide crew information. “The French side has not made any announcements regarding the measures taken against the ship,” according to the Russian embassy.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on June 1 that Moscow considered Paris’s actions with the Tagor ship “illegal.”

“These actions are no different from piracy,” Mr. Peskov said. “We completely disagree with the assessment that the French side’s actions complied with international law.”

Tagor is the fourth oil tanker landed and arrested by French forces since September 2025 under accusations of belonging to the “shadow fleet”. This is the Western term used to refer to cargo ships that they believe Russia uses to circumvent sanctions, managed through a network of front companies to hide ownership.

In January, the French navy blocked a Russian oil tanker suspected of belonging to the “shadow fleet” in the Mediterranean, but then allowed the ship to continue its journey.

Russia warned in February that it could deploy its navy to strategic waters, preventing the West from capturing oil tankers.