French authorities reveal details of detention of Russian shadow fleet tanker
France's Maritime Prefecture of the Atlantic has disclosed details about a Russian shadow fleet tanker detained by the country.
As stated by the Maritime Prefecture of the Atlantic, the Russian shadow fleet tanker Tagor, detained by the French Navy on Sunday 31 May, was travelling from Murmansk, Russia, under the flag of Cameroon.
The maritime prefecture said the sanctioned oil tanker was intercepted more than 400 nautical miles (740 km) west of the Brittany peninsula.
A spokesperson said the vessel was sailing under a false Cameroonian flag and was bound for Limbe, a port city in western Cameroon.
"After an inspection team boarded the vessel, a document check confirmed suspicions regarding the unlawful use of the flag. The matter was reported to the Brest prosecutor, who has jurisdiction under the maritime court," the spokesperson said.
The oil tanker, which had changed flags several times, was "virtually empty" when it was detained. The last time it transmitted a geolocation signal, a week earlier, Tagor was off the coast of Norway and sailing under the flag of Madagascar, the MarineTraffic website reports.
There were 23 crew members on board the tanker, although their nationalities have not been disclosed.
The vessel is currently being escorted by the French Navy to an anchorage for further inspections.
This is the fourth time France has detained a tanker belonging to Russia's shadow fleet, following the seizure of the Deyna and Grinch vessels in March and January 2026, respectively, as well as the detention of the Boracay tanker in September 2025. All three tankers were later allowed to continue their voyages after paying fines.
On 8 April, France announced plans to double penalties for violations in order to strengthen efforts against vessels belonging to Russia's shadow fleet.
In early May, the Swedish Coast Guard detained a sanctioned vessel near the coast of Trelleborg.
Romania and Bulgaria are making progress towards establishing a security hub to monitor shipping in the Black Sea, which includes identifying potential routes used by Russia's shadow fleet.