The Royal Navy’s Type 23 warship HMS Somerset launched a helicopter to help track the sanctioned vessel The Tagor in International waters, it has today been revealed
British troops helped French commandos storm a Russian tanker suspected of sanctions-busting, it has been revealed.
A helicopter launched from the Royal Navy’s Type 23 warship HMS Somerset helped track sanctioned vessel The Tagor in International waters.
After the UK Royal Navy team monitored the tanker it was boarded by French navy specialists on Sunday in the Atlantic Ocean, seizing the crew and the entire ship. French President Emmanuel Macron confirmed British troops played a key role in the operation to cripple the Kremlin’s warchest used to pay for weapons for the Ukraine war.
It is the latest in a string of actions by western nations to hit Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet, the network of tankers used to export goods out of Russia and evade sanctions placed on the country after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Mr Macron said: “The French Navy intercepted a new tanker under international sanctions yesterday morning, originating from Russia: the Tagor. Our determination is steadfast and unwavering.
“This operation was carried out in the Atlantic, in international waters, with the support of several partners including the United Kingdom, in strict compliance with the law of the sea. It is unacceptable for ships to circumvent international sanctions, violate the law of the sea, and fund the war that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than four years.
“These vessels, which fail to adhere to the most basic rules of maritime navigation, also pose a threat to the environment and to everyone’s safety.”
Footage accompanying the post showed French troops rappelling on to the ship’s deck from a helicopter, as well as night vision footage of armed troops walking along a gangway aboard the vessel.
The UK and France have both vowed to prevent Russian flagged ships passing through their waters. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in March gave permission for British forces to seize shadow fleet vessels, leading the ships to veer way from the English Channel.
At the start of the year, the UK assisted the US in capturing the Marinera, a Russian-linked tanker travelling across the Atlantic from Venezuela. It also helped the French capture a Russian oil tanker called the Grinch in the Mediterranean.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia “considers such actions illegal”, when asked about the French-led action. They border on piracy,” he said, adding: “We absolutely disagree that they are being carried out in full compliance with international law.”
An MOD Spokesperson said: “We can confirm that a helicopter from onboard HMS Somerset provided tracking and monitoring in support of the French operation to board the tanker Tagor. Alongside our allies, we are stepping up our response to shadow vessels – to choke off the funds that fuel Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
War in Ukraine has raged since President Vladimir Putin ’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 which attracted major international sanctions on Russia. But the Kremlin has repeatedly bypassed the sanctions, using its shadow fleet or by smuggling in componentry for weapons via eastern Europe and by other means.
