British forces, with the assistance of French commandos, conducted a joint operation to intercept a Russian tanker suspected of violating sanctions. The Royal Navy’s HMS Somerset deployed a helicopter to track the sanctioned vessel, The Tagor, in international waters.
Following surveillance by the UK Royal Navy, the French navy specialists boarded The Tagor in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday, confiscating both the crew and the entire ship. French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the vital role of British troops in dismantling the Kremlin’s financial resources used to support the conflict in Ukraine.
This action is part of a series of measures by Western nations to target Moscow’s covert fleet of tankers engaged in circumventing sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Macron emphasized the commitment to upholding international regulations, stating that ships evading sanctions not only violate maritime laws but also fund Russia’s prolonged aggression against Ukraine.
Video footage accompanying the operation depicted French troops descending onto the tanker from a helicopter and armed personnel patrolling the ship’s deck at night. Both the UK and France have pledged to block Russian-flagged vessels from passing through their waters. Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized British forces to seize shadow fleet vessels, diverting them away from the English Channel.
Earlier this year, the UK collaborated with the US to intercept the Marinera, a Russian-affiliated tanker, and assisted in capturing a Russian oil tanker named the Grinch in the Mediterranean. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denounced these actions as illegal, likening them to piracy and disputing their compliance with international laws.
A spokesperson from the UK Ministry of Defence affirmed the involvement of HMS Somerset’s helicopter in monitoring the French operation on the Tagor tanker. The collective effort with allies aims to curb the financial resources sustaining Putin’s unlawful invasion of Ukraine.
Since Putin’s large-scale invasion in February 2022, the conflict in Ukraine has persisted amidst severe international sanctions on Russia. However, the Kremlin continues to bypass sanctions through its shadow fleet and illicit means of importing weapon components via eastern Europe.