France seizes a Russian oil tanker linked to Iran…and Moscow describes it as…"the pirate"
Declared FranceMonday it detained a tracked oil tanker over the weekend "Ghost Fleet" Russia in the Atlantic Ocean, in a move described by the Kremlin as… "piracy"
Since September last year, French forces have intercepted three ships believed to be part of "Ghost fleet" You are using Moscowto circumvent Western sanctions imposed on its oil exports.
The tanker was seized. "Tagore" On Sunday morning in international waters with the help of Britain and other partners, after its Russian captain refused to comply with orders, according to what public prosecutors reported.
Kremlin spokesman
For its part, Russia, through Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, described the French move as…"Illegal"and that it is "Closer to international piracy"Moscow, he added "It takes measures to ensure the safety of its shipment".
The tanker is suspected "Tagore" It was carrying Russian or Iranian oil, and is linked to the businessman in the oil shipping sector, Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, according to the database. "OpenSections"
The French authorities reported that the ship falsely flying the flag of Cameroon sailed from Murmansk in northwestern Russia towards the city of Limbe in the west of the African country.
Violation of the Law of the Sea
In the same context, French President Emmanuel Macron said that "It is unacceptable for ships to circumvent international sanctions, violate the law of the sea, and finance the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than four years."
He published a video clip of the process of controlling the ship, showing commando forces lowering ropes from a helicopter to its deck.
The French navigation authorities in the Atlantic explained that the interception operation took place more than 400 nautical miles (740 kilometers) west of Brittany.
They added that a review of the documents confirmed doubts about "Illegality of science" Which the ship was lifting, knowing that it was carrying a crew of 23 individuals, and the French Navy accompanied the ship. "Tagore" To the anchoring site for further investigation.
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