FRENCH SPECIAL FORCES have boarded and seized an alleged Russian Shadow Fleet oil tanker 700 kilometres off the Brittany coast and south of Ireland, the country’s President has said. 

In a post on X, Emmanuel Macron said that the French navy with helicopter borne troops, took control of the Tagor as it was sailing towards Africa. 

The operation also involved British forces and other states which have not been identified. It is understood a helicopter was flown off the HMS Somerset during the mission. That ship had recently cancelled a courtesy visit to Cork. 

The European Union has vowed to up the ante in how it handles the Russian Shadow Fleet as part of its support for Ukraine. 

The Irish Government has said it was open to boarding and inspecting the ships as they sail through the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Sources have said Ireland was not involved in the Tagor mission, and the operation took place outside the Irish EEZ.

The oil tanker last pinged on open source maritime tracking software off the Norwegian coast seven days ago. Her voyage data said it had left Russia and was en route to Cameroon.

It is understood that the Tagor was sailing under the flag of Madagascar, which does not have an active ship register. That would make it effectively stateless, and it could be boarded under provisions of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

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.

Cette intervention a été effectuée en Atlantique, en haute mer,… pic.twitter.com/zxEslYjbUE

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 1, 2026

The Russian Shadow Fleet (RSF) is more than 500 ships used to smuggle oil in contravention of sanctions.  

In a statement Macron said that his government’s “determination is steadfast and unwavering” in targeting Russian smuggling ships.

“This operation was carried out in the Atlantic, in international waters, with the support of several partners including the United Kingdom, in strict compliance with the law of the sea.

“It is unacceptable for ships to circumvent international sanctions, violate the law of the sea, and fund the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than 4 years.

“These vessels, which fail to adhere to the most basic rules of maritime navigation, also pose a threat to the environment and to everyone’s safety,” he said. 

It is not the first RSF vessel boarded and seized by France and other countries.

In March French and British forces seized an oil tanker, the Deyna, in the Medtteranean. 

There was also a US and British mission to seize the oil tanker Marinera or Bela One in the Atlantic, and France took control of a sanctioned ship, the Grinch, in the Mediterranean in January. 

The Russian government has criticised the Tagor’s seizure.