French Navy Seizes Sanctioned Russia-Linked Oil Tanker With British Support

The UK has sanctioned 544 alleged Russian shadow fleet vessels and claims that around 75 percent of Russia’s crude oil is transported in the shadow fleet.

French navy personnel board a sanctioned Russian-linked oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean on May 31, 2026. French Navy/Emmanuel Macron via X

French forces boarded a sanctioned oil tanker sailing in the Atlantic from Russia on May 31. The operation was supported by the UK, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.

“This operation took place in the Atlantic Ocean, ‌on ⁠the high seas, with the ‌support of several partners, including ​the United Kingdom, in ​strict compliance with ​the law of the sea,” ⁠Macron said in a June 1 post on X.