The operation was undertaken with the support of the United Kingdom, which recently expanded its military powers to detain Russian ships evading sanctions.
Moscow’s envoy in Paris told Russian state media the Tagor’s captain is a Russian citizen. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov on Monday condemned the seizure, describing it as “illegal” and bordering on “international piracy.”
Moscow will be “taking into account, so to speak, this existing negative experience,” as it tries to ensure the safety of its cargo, he added.
The latest incident marks France’s fourth seizure of a Russian ship this year. European capitals have clamped down on the Kremlin’s circumvention of Western sanctions, and a French court sentenced a ship captain in March for operating a Russian ship.
The tanker is now being escorted to a port by French ships, France’s prefect for the Atlantic said in a statement.