France Releases Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Oil Tanker After Owner Pays $1.1 Million Fine

French authorities have released the sanctioned crude oil tanker Tagor after its owner paid a €1 million (US$1.1 million) fine and agreed to obtain a valid flag registration before the vessel resumes operations.

The tanker had been held for more than a month after French naval forces intercepted it in the Atlantic on May 31 over suspected irregularities in its registration.

The case is part of France’s crackdown on vessels linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which Western governments say is used to transport Russian oil and gas while avoiding sanctions imposed over Moscow’s war in Ukraine.

The French Ministry of Justice said on Thursday that the Tagor is now free to leave French waters after the fine was paid.

The 114,809-deadweight-tonne tanker was boarded by French naval forces after authorities suspected it was sailing under a false flag. It was then escorted to the French coast, where prosecutors opened a criminal investigation.

French prosecutors in Brest later accepted a plea agreement under which the vessel’s owner admitted responsibility, agreed to pay the €1 million fine and committed to securing a legitimate flag registration before the tanker returns to service.

According to French authorities, the Tagor had departed Murmansk, Russia, and had previously claimed registrations in Guinea, Madagascar and Cameroon. Investigators found that all three registrations were invalid.

La Marine nationale a arraisonné hier matin un nouveau pétrolier sous sanctions internationales en provenance de Russie : le Tagor. Notre détermination est constante et totale.

Cette intervention a été effectuée en Atlantique, en haute mer,… pic.twitter.com/zxEslYjbUE

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 1, 2026

The tanker has already been sanctioned by the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States for transporting Russian oil.

On June 1, French President Emmanuel Macron shared a video on X showing commandos boarding the Tagor during the operation carried out the previous day.

France and Britain have pledged to stop vessels linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet” as part of European efforts to reduce Russia’s ability to fund the war in Ukraine.

The Tagor is the fourth shadow fleet tanker detained by France since it began its crackdown in September 2025.

All four vessels have been released after paying financial penalties, although the master of the first intercepted tanker was also prosecuted in absentia.

France is also continuing legal proceedings against another detained shadow fleet tanker, Discover, which was intercepted last week.

Russia rejects the term “shadow fleet” and says its oil shipments are legitimate. It has criticised Western attempts to intercept its tankers, calling them illegal and comparing them to piracy.

According to the source material, Russia has also increased security for ships linked to its oil exports, including naval escorts in some waterways and additional armed security on some vessels.

According to AIS data, the Tagor remains off the French coast but is expected to leave soon, with Istanbul listed as its next destination.

References: Reuters, Maritime Telegraph