French President Emmanuel Macron announced Monday that French commandos, with support from the UK and other countries, boarded an oil tanker in international waters off the Atlantic coast. The vessel, identified as the Tagor, was seized following claims by Paris that it posed environmental and safety risks and engaged in sanctions circumvention.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the seizure as “borderline piracy,” stating Russia would draw on this incident when adjusting measures to protect its shipments. Macron asserted the vessel operated under a flag of Madagascar and had previously visited an oil terminal near Murmansk, Russia, before ceasing all transponder transmissions more than a week ago while sailing off the Norwegian coast.

The seizure follows France’s similar action in March against another Russian-linked tanker, the Deyna, which was released after its owner paid fines. The UK has been among the most vocal advocates of escalating interdictions against vessels transporting Russian oil without taking direct action itself.

Ukraine, meanwhile, is believed to be conducting a sabotage campaign against vessels that call at Russian ports, including ships used by third parties such as the Caspian Pipeline Consortium. Last month, an LNG tanker arriving at Russia’s Ust-Luga port from Antwerp was found fitted with limpet mines, which Moscow described as a Ukrainian attempt to trigger a major explosion.

The measures imposed by Western countries targeting Russian trade were adopted without a UN mandate following the 2022 escalation of the Ukraine conflict. Peskov rejected Macron’s claim that French forces acted in accordance with international law.