00:00France and its allies have detained a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean over
00:04the weekend, according to an announcement by President Emmanuel Macron.
00:08The high seas interception followed the Russian captain of the Tagore's direct refusal to
00:13comply with naval orders, forcing French forces to take physical control of the vessel.
00:18The Brest Prosecutor's Office has opened a formal criminal investigation into the ship's
00:22failure to prove its nationality, an absolute absence of a flag, and open non-compliance.
00:28The Kremlin's response came from spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who challenged the seizure by
00:32calling it illegal and comparing the move to piracy.
00:37President Macron condemned the activity, stating it is unacceptable for vessels to circumvent
00:41international sanctions, violate maritime law, and fund the war being waged against Ukraine
00:47for more than four years.
00:49The operation marks the fourth time since September that France has boarded ships suspected of belonging
00:54to Russia's unverified Shadow Fleet.
00:57Previous operations include the seizure of the Borachai for a suspected drone airspace violation
01:02in Denmark, as well as the boarding of the Etera in the North Sea and the Dina in the Mediterranean.
01:08Maritime authorities warn that nearly 600 vessels are now subject to EU sanctions for utilizing
01:14flag-hoping tactics to bypass energy restrictions.
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