Moscow Condemns France and UK Over Seizure of Cargo Vessel at Sea
According to Russian officials, the ship—identified as the *Tagor*—was halted on Sunday at a position more than 400 nautical miles off the coast of Brittany. French authorities have asserted that the vessel was operating under a “false” flag.
In remarks issued on Tuesday, a Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson confirmed that Moscow’s embassy in Paris has formally requested detailed information regarding the circumstances of the detention, warning that the operation may have breached international maritime law. Russian authorities also stated that steps are being taken to ensure the protection of the ship’s crew.
Moscow rejected the legal justification provided by France, which cited Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. That provision allows warships under specific conditions to board vessels on the high seas, including cases where a ship is suspected of lacking nationality.
However, Russian officials argued that international maritime law does not permit a warship to force a vessel to change course and escort it from international waters into a national port.
The spokesperson also dismissed claims that the ship was violating “international sanctions,” stating that only measures approved by the UN Security Council constitute legally binding international sanctions. Sanctions imposed unilaterally by individual states or groups of countries, she argued, do not carry the same legal standing.
Russian authorities further accused European governments of selectively applying maritime law in a way that serves political interests, warning that expanding such enforcement practices on the high seas could have significant consequences for global shipping routes.
It was also noted that numerous vessels linked to European trade interests operate under flags of convenience, with Moscow cautioning that similar enforcement actions against such vessels could create wider disruptions in international maritime commerce.
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