The French Navy intercepted a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in international waters on Sunday with support from the United Kingdom, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on social media Monday.

The operation targeted the tanker Tagor, which was traveling from the northwestern Russian port of Murmansk when it was boarded more than 400 nautical miles west of France in the Atlantic Ocean. French maritime authorities said the vessel is suspected of operating under a false flag and is now being escorted to an anchorage for further inspection.

Macron posted video footage of the operation showing personnel rappelling from a helicopter onto the ship's deck. He stated that such vessels violate international sanctions and maritime law while financing Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, which began in February 2022.

The interception represents the latest effort by Ukraine-supporting nations to target Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" of hundreds of ships allegedly used to circumvent international sanctions. Oil revenue remains a crucial component of Russia's economy, enabling continued military spending without triggering domestic inflation or currency instability.

France has conducted multiple similar operations in recent months. In March, French forces boarded the tanker Deyna in the Mediterranean Sea. Another vessel, the Grinch, was intercepted in January and later released in February after paying a multimillion-euro penalty.

French authorities emphasized that sanction-evading vessels pose risks to maritime security and the environment beyond their role in financing military operations. The international community has intensified efforts to identify and intercept such ships as part of broader economic pressure on Russia.