Detained Russia-linked tanker arrives in France

A tanker suspected of being part of Russia's "shadow fleet" has docked in a French harbor, days after the French navy detained it in international waters. The vessel, identified as the Tagor, is believed to be involved in circumventing Western sanctions against Russia, marking the fourth such ship seized by France since September last year.

The French navy boarded the Tagor on Sunday with British assistance after its captain reportedly refused to comply with orders. French authorities stated the ship was falsely flying a Cameroonian flag and was en route from Murmansk, Russia, to Limbe, Cameroon. The Kremlin has denounced the seizure, likening it to "international piracy."

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international piracy

Open-source intelligence suggests the Tagor is linked to oil magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, whose father, Ali Shamkhani, served as an adviser to Iran's former supreme leader. This connection emerges amid heightened tensions following the recent deaths of both Shamkhanis on February 28, the first day of the Middle East war triggered by US-Israeli attacks.

"Shadow fleet" vessels are known to engage in "flag-hopping," frequently changing their flags or using invalid registrations to evade tracking and sanctions. France has previously detained tankers like the Deyna and the Grinch, which were later released after fines. In another case, a Chinese captain was sentenced in absentia for failing to stop his vessel. These actions are part of broader Western efforts to penalize nearly 600 ships suspected of belonging to Russia's shadow fleet, which is believed to be a key tool for Moscow to bypass sanctions imposed after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

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The Tagor sailed into the Bay of Douarnenez in western France's region of Brittany on Tuesday morning