Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kremlin says French seizure of tanker ‘bordering on piracy’

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kremlin says French seizure of tanker ‘bordering on piracy’ as it vows response

Lukashenko says he knows the Ukrainian military 'does not want any war with Belarus'

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Kremlin says French seizure of tanker 'bordering on piracy' and vows response

The Kremlin said on Monday the French seizure of a Russian-linked tanker was “bordering on piracy” and vowed to respond.

French president Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that the navy had boarded the sanctioned Tagor oil tanker in the Atlantic Ocean with support of international partners including the UK.

He said the operation took place “in strict compliance with the law of the sea”.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Russia considers the move “illegal”, warning that Russia would take measures to ensure the safety of shipping cargo in response.

In February, a Kremlin aide said Russia could deploy its navy to prevent the seizure of its vessels and may retaliate against European shipping if Russian ships are taken.

UK and France intercept suspected Russian oil tanker in Atlantic, Macron says

French president says new tanker was intercepted by France with support of several partners

James Reynolds1 June 2026 10:43

What we know about French interception of Russia-linked tanker

French president Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that the French navy had intercepted a Russia-linked tanker in the Atlantic Ocean.

He said the operation was carried out in conjunction with international partners including the UK.

What was intercepted?

Macron said the navy had intercepted the sanctioned oil tanker ‘Tagor’, which had sailed from Russia’s Arctic port of Murmansk.

He said the ship was suspected of flying under a false flag. According to MarineTraffic, the 252-metre-long tanker was sailing under a Madagascan flag.

Why does it matter?

To try to skirt Western sanctions, Russia has relied on old vessels, known as the shadow fleet, to ship its oil and gas.

France and Britain have both vowed to obstruct such vessels as part of a European strategy to combat the oil revenues that help fund Russia's war efforts in Ukraine.

The Tagor is the fourth sanctioned tanker the French have intercepted.

Will it change anything?

Western sanctions and a small number of interceptions have had little obvious impact on the Russian 'shadow fleet' at a time oil prices pushed higher by the Iran war offer tankers a big incentive.

Instead it is the Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil facilities that are stopping Moscow from capitalising on the spike in global fuel prices.

What has Russia said?

The Kremlin said it considered the move illegal and accused France of an act bordering on international piracy, vowing to respond.

Macron said the operation was carried out in line with maritime law.

James Reynolds1 June 2026 12:30

Ukrainian drone attacks devastate Russian energy infrastructure

Ukraine claimed to have struck a major oil pipeline control station in Russia’s Kirov oblast and an oil depot in Rostov oblast on Sunday.

Kyiv said it hit the Lazarevo pumping station, some 800 miles from Ukrainian-held territory, with drones overnight on 30-31 May.

The station serves the Surgut-Gorky-Polotsk pipeline, shipping Russian oil from Siberia to Belarus.

Authorities in the Russian town of Matveyev Kurgan said separately that a major fire was burning following a drone attack on a fuel depot in the town, in Rostov oblast. Ukraine confirmed the strike.

James Reynolds1 June 2026 12:00

In pictures: Aftermath of Russian drone strike in Odesa

James Reynolds1 June 2026 11:30

Rosatom to discuss claimed drone attack on Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant with UN nuclear watchdog

Alexei Likhachev, the head of Russia's state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom, said on Monday that he would discuss with IAEA chief Rafael Grossi a joint statement, addressed to European leaders, about the attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

Rosatom said on Saturday a Ukrainian drone had struck the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest, causing no damage to key equipment, but the Kyiv military denied it.

James Reynolds1 June 2026 11:02

Danish shipyard continues to service tankers benefitting Russian trade

A Danish shipyard has continued servicing ice-class LNG tankers providing a vital lifeline to Russian gas exports, according to a report.

Analysis by Urgewald, a non-governmental organisation, shows six Arc7 icebreakers would be due for repair at Fayard’s shipyard this summer ahead of an EU ban on services to tankers operating out of Russia due to come into force in 2027, the Financial Times reports.

Last year, Fayard services five tankers that had sailed from Russia’s Yamal gas plant, according to its annual report.

Danish PM Mette Frederiksen said after the first reports of Fayard servicing the Yamal-bound fleet that it was “completely incomprehensible” and urged them to stop.

James Reynolds1 June 2026 10:28

Russia claims control of Ukrainian village in Donetsk

Russia's defence ministry said on Monday that its forces had taken control of the Ukrainian village of Tykhonivka in the Donetsk region, the state RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Ukrainska Pravda reported meanwhile that Ukrainian defenders had repelled one Russian attack near the village.

James Reynolds1 June 2026 10:28

Child killed, 11 injured in Ukrainian attack in Kherson region

A child was killed and 11 people were injured in a drone attack in a Russian-held part of southern Kherson region, a local Russian-appointed official said on Monday.

Vladimir Saldo, governor of the Russian-held parts of Kherson, wrote on Telegram the strike occurred in the city of Henichesk, on the shore of the Sea of Azov.

He said Ukraine was responsible for the drone attack.

In Ukraine, 40,000 people were left without power after a Russian attack on the Chernihiv region on the Russian border, a local energy company said on Telegram, as both sides continue the exchange of strikes since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

James Reynolds1 June 2026 10:00

Russia demands answers from France over tanker seizure

Russia's embassy in Paris said on Monday that it had requested information from the French authorities about any Russian citizens on board the seized tanker Tagor.

The captain of vessel is a Russian citizen, according to preliminary information, the embassy said, as reported by Russia’s TASS news agency.

James Reynolds1 June 2026 09:41

UK and France intercept suspected Russian oil tanker in Atlantic, Macron says

Britain and France have intercepted a sanctioned Russian oil tanker suspected of flying a false flag in the Atlantic, Emmanuel Macron has said.

The French navy could be seen boarding the ship, named the ​Tagor, in a video shared by the French President on Monday morning.

He said operation was carried out “with the support of several partners including the United Kingdom” in international waters.

The Maritime Prefecture of the Atlantic, a French authority, said in a separate statement that the French Navy had intervened on an ​oil tanker more than 400 nautical miles west of the tip ​of Brittany.

UK and France intercept suspected Russian oil tanker in Atlantic, Macron says

The French president said a new tanker was intercepted by France with the support of several partners

James Reynolds1 June 2026 08:24