French President Emmanuel Macron announced on June 1 that the French Navy had detained a tanker in the Atlantic Ocean. The operation, conducted with support from multiple partners including the United Kingdom, took place in international waters. The vessel, reportedly arriving from Russia and flying the flag of Madagascar, was seized by naval forces.
The incident reflects broader efforts targeting Russian maritime activity as Canada has joined the European Union’s attacks on ships from the Russian Federation. However, Ottawa is unlikely to directly seize tankers.
Separately, Swedish authorities boarded the bulk carrier Caffa in the Baltic Sea on March 6, seizing the vessel which was sailing within Sweden’s territorial waters under the Guinean flag. It later emerged that 10 of the ship’s 11 crew members held Russian citizenship. The Russian Embassy stated that conditions for the captain’s detention were satisfactory, including access to an interpreter and legal counsel.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Russia would take measures to protect its interests in response to such seizures, noting recent incidents of piracy in international waters and stating these actions are detrimental to Russia’s economic interests.
