France detains tanker linked to Iranian network accused of moving Russian oil in International Shipping News 04/06/2026 The seizure is the latest evidence of France’s efforts to crack down on vessels suspected of helping Russia evade sanctions imposed following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. An oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” has arrived in the Bay of Douarnenez in western France on Tuesday under the escort of the French Navy. The Tagor was intercepted and boarded in international waters off the coast of Brittany on Sunday with support from the United Kingdom, the Elysée Palace confirmed. French officials said the vessel had departed from the Russian Arctic port of Murmansk and was sailing under a false Cameroonian flag when it was intercepted. Authorities said the ship’s Russian captain initially refused orders to stop, prompting a boarding operation that the Kremlin has described as an act of “international piracy”. It is the fourth tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet to be detained by France since September 2024. Shadow fleet vessels are typically characterised by opaque ownership structures, frequent changes of flag registration, ship-to-ship cargo transfers and limited insurance coverage. Western governments say the network has become a critical tool for exporting Russian oil despite international restrictions. According to French authorities, the Tagor was bound for the port of Limbe in Cameroon when it was stopped. Flying a false or invalid flag is considered a serious maritime violation and is commonly associated with sanctions evasion. Iranian shipping magnate linked to Russian oil exports The vessel has attracted particular attention because databases have linked it to the wider shipping network of Iranian oil trader Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, one of the most prominent figures accused of facilitating both Russian and Iranian oil exports. Shamkhani, the son of former Iranian national security chief Ali Shamkhani, has built a